Dazed and Confused
by 1Pagan3
Summary: When John's misperceptions blind him to what's really going on with his son, will Sammy pay the ultimate price? Limp/Hurt! Sammy, Protective!Dean, Angsty/Guilty!John
1. Chapter 1

AN: Ok, here's another story and this time I'm a little bit ahead, so let me know what you think of it. Disclaimer: I own nothing of Kripke's creations and am not getting paid for this... darn!

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John knew he shouldn't have favorites, but at the moment as he watched his boys he couldn't help himself. Dean at sixteen had filled out and bulked up to the point that he couldn't walk down the street without girls tripping over themselves to talk to him. Add that to the drive to hunt and John couldn't help but feel a kindred spirit, a real chip off the old block. Sammy however had gone from a long lean eleven year old to a chubby, if not almost dumpy, preadolescent twelve year old boy who participated in the hunts, but seemed to wear out faster than he had months previous; no matter how many extra training sessions he put them through.

Looking down at his notes he knew that he had a decision to make, and it wasn't going to be a popular one, but he didn't see any other way. Although his youngest may not be like his older brother, it didn't mean that he didn't love him, and this hunt was going to be dangerous. Now he just had to figure out how he was going to tell the boys that Sammy wasn't going with them, that instead he'd sit this one out at Pastor Jim's.

Dean looked over at his little brother and started to worry. A couple of months ago Sammy would have been able to keep up without breaking too much of a sweat, now though it looked like the kid was going to pass out. "Sammy, you ok over there?"

Nodding, Sammy could barely breathe, but he wasn't going to admit that. His dad had been riding him hard lately to lose the 'baby fat' and he'd been trying, God had he been trying. No matter how little he ate though, he just couldn't seem to get rid of the pudge had been sprouting around him the last couple of months. Mrs. Davies, their neighbor at their last place, said that he was just going through a growth spurt and there was nothing wrong with a 'healthy' looking boy. If he had more energy he would have laughed, because he felt anything but healthy at the moment. In fact, if he didn't know better he would have thought he was dying.

Pastor Jim Murphy watched from his small garden as John put his boys through their paces, and he had to admit that he never thought he'd see the day when Sam would have trouble keeping up with Dean. He had asked if there was something wrong with the boy, concerned that maybe he had been sick or injured and had actually gained too much weight during his recovery, but John had waved his concern away saying 'The only thing wrong with that boy is too much junk food.' Sighing, he walked back into his house and started lunch; he had a feeling that it was going to be a very stressful meal.

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Sammy couldn't sleep, the conversation he had with his brother still echoed through his brain, and he wanted nothing more than to erase it; unfortunately he knew that would never happen.

"_Sammy, you just need to try harder. Dad isn't being this way to be mean, but you have to admit you've been packing on the weight lately; it's not healthy dude."_

"_Dean, I'm not eating any more than you are. It's not fair!"_

_Smiling, Dean looked at his little brother, "Hey, can I help it if I got all the good genes?"_

"_I just don't see why Dad had to be so mean about it. If running five miles a day isn't speeding me up or helping me slim down, I don't see how running eight is going to do anything either."_

_Tired of the same conversation, Dean just wanted to relax a little before having to get up before dawn to train some more. "Look Sammy, just stay away from the junk, do what Dad says and quit complaining about it. He knows what he's doing."_

Now as he started down the stairs to get a glass of water he realized he wasn't the only one awake, and what he heard made his stomach plummet.

"John, you're being too hard on the boy. It's not that he isn't trying…"

"I know that Jim, but right now he's too much of a liability. I can't go after this damn thing and watch to make sure he doesn't have a heart attack at the same time."

"Oh for the love of… do you even know he has high blood pressure? No. You've just got it in your head that he's like this to spite you. Get over yourself, he's got more problems that wondering how to mess with you."

"Damn it Jim, will you look after him while Dean and I go after this thing, or do I have to find a way to keep him in a motel room while we're gone?"

There was a long pause and Sammy wasn't sure what was going on, but he had a feeling he wasn't going to like it.

"John, if you do this now, you will regret it for the rest of your life. You cannot treat him like some toy, to be put up somewhere until you're ready to play with him." Jim let out a long sigh, "Of course he can stay, just make sure I have all the necessary paperwork for emergencies and you had better check in regularly. I won't have him thinking that his family has completely abandoned him."

"A little melodramatic there, are we Jim? It's just a hunt; we'll be back before Sammy can even miss us. I appreciate this, really I do."

Any other part of the conversation was lost on Sammy as he silently made his way back up the stairs. There was something in his dad's voice that told him he lied to Pastor Jim, this wasn't just for one hunt; he was being left behind for good.

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Dean knew something was up as soon as he woke up. For starters, he woke up before his dad had come in to get them for their morning workout, then there was the fact that Sammy was sitting at the small desk looking out the window at nothing. He was about to ask what was wrong when his little brother's voice broke the silence.

"You won't forget about me, will you Dean?" Sammy asked, praying he was wrong, but knowing he was right.

He had no idea what his little brother was talking about, and even suspected that Sammy was sleepwalking or something, but he'd answer anyway; anything to get back to sleep. "Sammy, of course I…"

"Good, you're up. Dean get ready, we're leaving in ten. Sammy, come downstairs, I want to talk to you." John said in the doorway.

Shocked, Dean looked at Sammy who refused to even glance his way as he made his way to the door. "I won't forget you Dean, ever." Sammy said quietly, leaving Dean to wonder what the hell had just happened.

By the time he got ready and down the stairs, his dad and Jim were finishing up a conversation and Sammy was nowhere in sight. "Hey Dad, can we spare a minute, I need to talk to Sammy…"

"Dean, we need to go. Sammy's already been informed about what's going on; we'll see him when we get back. Now get in the car, I'll be right there." When Dean didn't move immediately, John barked, "Now Dean, go!"

Not feeling right about leaving Sammy behind, Dean was determined to get to the bottom of things, but by the time John slid into the driver's seat Dean had drifted off to sleep again.

Sammy watched as the only real home he'd ever known drove away and left him behind just like he somehow knew it would. Turning around he started his training, hoping that maybe one day he'd be good enough to join the family again.

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Dean wasn't sure what had gotten into his dad, but he was really starting to worry about his sanity. The Wendigo they got rid of had been a nasty one, it had taken them twice as long to find the lair as what they thought, then they had run out of flare guns while trying to kill the fugly bastard. To top it off, when he had mentioned how good it was going to be to see Sammy again, his dad got a funny look on his face and said that there had been a change of plans and they needed to get rid of a Rawhead that was close by.

It had been almost a month since he'd seen his little brother and it was really starting to piss him off. Every time they would end one hunt, there would be a couple more to take its place, making him wonder if his dad hadn't sent out a bulletin to every supernatural creature out there that it was time to come out and play. It didn't help that when they were able to call Pastor Jim's, Sammy sounded so tired, as if he'd given up. No matter how many times he had tried to convince his dad that there was something wrong, he'd just get the brush off and told that 'Sammy's just sulking 'cause he couldn't come. He'll get over it.'

"Hey Dad! How about we swing towards Minnesota, maybe check on Sammy…"

"Dean, we have things to do and there's no point backtracking." Seeing the horrified look on his son's face he relented, "There's a witch whose killing people that have spoke out against her. Let's take care of her first, then we'll go back and see Sammy for awhile."

Smiling, Dean was anxious to get it over and done with so they could get back to his annoying geek boy brother. He couldn't wait to tell him all the things that he and their dad had done while they were gone, Sammy was going to be so jealous!

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It had taken two days to find out exactly who this witch was and where it was believed that she was, and then another day and half to hike in and find her _true_ location. After actually meeting her they both quickly realized that it was a demon and not a witch making them more than just a little unprepared for what they were dealing with.

Securing themselves in their campsite, they were going over what they found out and making a list of the things they would need before they confronted her again when they heard something approaching fast. Motioning for Dean to grab his gun, they both readied themselves for attack. When two faces appeared, both men sighed in relief until one of them spoke.

"Hurry up, we have to go. Sammy's sick and the docs don't think he's going to make it."

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AN: Well, let me know what you think! 


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks everyone for your wonderful support last chapter, I must admit... I'm overwhelmed by the response - Thank you! A special thanks to Sammygirl1963 who does so much and asks for so little!

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Jim was worried, he couldn't help himself. He continued to watch Sam train as if his father was still watching and his big brother was at his side. That wasn't what worried him though; it was the fact that the past couple of weeks Sam seemed to be getting weaker. The boy would fall asleep at the drop of a hat; he barely ate, claiming not to be hungry. The only thing he would drink was water, insisting that anything else would have too many calories and he needed to be fighting fit _if_ his father ever came back for him. That's what hurt the most; Sam thinking that John had abandoned him, and knowing that the boy was right.

He had been tracking John and Dean's hunts and had to admit they were quite busy, which brought him to another dilemma. Was John finding valid hunts, or was he just grasping at straws and getting lucky. Sighing, he decided not to delve into that too much given the person he was pondering about; it would lead to a headache and he was to perform mass that evening.

"Pastor Jim? Would it be ok if I went and laid down, I've got a headache and am kind of tired. I don't want to fall asleep at dinner again."

Smiling, Jim had to admit that seeing Sam sitting at the table with a spoon in his hand but sound asleep had been a disturbing sight at first, but it had turned quickly into something to chuckle about. Nodding, he motioned that he thought it was a fine idea and watched the boy trudge up the stairs as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders.

'Damn you John, how could you do this to Sam?' he thought angrily, not caring how many Hail Mary's or Our Father's he'd have to say to purge himself from his anger.

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Sammy laid down on his bed thankful that it was summer break since there was no way he'd be able to go to school and train at the moment. Looking at his hands he felt a sense of disgust with himself. He felt the tightness of his skin when we tried to bend his fingers, and he had found out the hard way that writing was next to impossible, not to mention he was often feeling uncomfortable just walking with his feet so sore and tender.

Going over everything he had eaten the past several weeks in his mind, he couldn't think of what was making him stay this way. He had stopped all junk food, including chocolate milk, just because he didn't want to take the chance of the extra sugar. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't really eating that much; no matter how much Pastor Jim tried to get him to finish his plate, he just wasn't hungry.

Thinking about his family, he was happy to know they were safe. The last phone call said that they were going after a witch and they'd call again as soon as they were done. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Dean except to say that he was fine and missed them both. Now he was just too tired to worry about the small details like witches, wendigo's and rawheads; all he wanted to do was sleep.

Jim had been calling for Sam for the last couple of minutes and wondered if the boy had his Walkman on too loud again. Walking up the stairs he couldn't help but think that it would be about time the kid took a break and relaxed. Reaching the bedroom, he saw Sam asleep on the bed as if nothing could ever harm him, and he relished the sight; it wasn't something that they saw in Sam very often. That's when it hit him and he rushed to the bed.

"Sam, SAM!" he cried out, shaking the boy's shoulder trying to get him to wake up. Seeing that it wasn't working, he rushed to the phone in the hallway and dialed 911. After giving the specifics, Jim made sure the doors were unlocked and ran back up to Sam where the paramedics found them less than ten minutes later.

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Dr. Willingham hated cases like these; it seemed as if people were determined to ignore basic warning signs until it was too late. To make matters worse, this time it was a kid who might not make it to see his teenage years. Sighing, he walked into PICU and looked at the boy whose life hung in the balance at the moment.

"Pastor Murphy, I take it you're the temporary guardian of Sam here?" he asked, already knowing the situation, but needing to find a way to get the conversation going. Seeing the other man nod he continued, "Sam is in renal failure. Normally the causes would be diabetes or high blood pressure, but this time we believe it's due to some damage to the kidneys themselves. The scans we have after he was first brought in shows a small tear in his right kidney, this can cause the other to shut down as well if left untreated. You mentioned that he had seemed to gain weight even with a loss of appetite and that he was sleeping a lot, those are definite signs of kidney disease, although the weight gain is actually fluid retention." He paused, not knowing how to broach the subject, but seeing the man before him, he knew that he needed to be straightforward. "With his latest lab work, I've ordered dialysis for him to remove the toxins, and we'll combine that with drug therapy. I'm not willing to completely give up yet, however, if he has any family _anywhere_, you need to call them and get them here because his chances aren't good."

Feeling as if he'd just been sucker punched, Jim watched the man walk out the door then looked over at Sam and noticed how the ventilator breathed for him and the monitors ticked off his heartbeat showing him that he was still alive, for how long they didn't know, but for now it was enough.

Reaching for the phone he called for help, "Caleb, are you still close to upstate New York? Good, find John and drag his ass back. Sam's dying, and we need him and Dean here now."

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Dean couldn't understand what happened; Sammy was fine when they left. He was walking, talking, brooding… fine! How the hell could he be dying in less than a month? "Dad, how…"

"I don't know son, we'll find out when we get there." John said, wishing he had the answers. He was now glad more than ever that they hadn't brought Sammy along, if whatever this was had happened in the middle of the hunt there would have been no way to get him help in time.

Thinking about the last conversation he had with his little brother in person he muttered, "He asked if I'd forget him Dad, why would he ask that? I mean I know that he couldn't have known how long we'd be but…" something else struck him as he thought about his conversation with his dad about seeing Sammy, "you were planning on leaving him there, weren't you? Somehow Sammy knew and now he's dying… damn it Dad! What the hell? Whatever happened to 'Winchester's stick together'?" he yelled, wanting to make sense out of everything but unable to.

"Dean, enough! I never said that I was leaving Sammy behind…"

"Yeah Dad, you did. 'We'll swing by and see Sammy for _awhile_', sound familiar? You don't just stop in for a visit if you're planning on taking that someone with you." Dean was upset not to mention confused. Nothing was making sense at the moment, and all he wanted was to get to his little brother – fast!

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It had taken a lot longer for them to get to the hospital and everyone was more than a little cranky by the time they crossed the hospital's doorway. Rushing up to the PICU, they had to show their ID's before they were escorted to a waiting room until Sammy's doctor could be paged.

Dr. Willingham walked into the waiting room not knowing what to expect, that's why he had two security guards with him. He couldn't get answers from the boy who lay close to death's door, but he was determined to get them from the people standing in front of him. "My name is Dr. Willingham, and I've been treating Sam since he came in. Before you start with you're questions let me tell you, he's in a coma due to renal failure caused by a tear in his right kidney. If it had been treated properly when the tear first occurred, we could have most likely avoided all of this. However, at the moment he's on daily dialysis, drug therapy, a respirator to help with his breathing, as well as blood transfusions to help with the anemia that this condition has caused." Seeing the shocked looks on the men's faces in front of him, he had a feeling that this was a case of accidental occurrence and not child abuse; although with the suspected wait he was sure he could make a case of neglect. Sighing, he shook his head. "Right now he's fighting… hard. We'll monitor him and continue what we're doing in the hopes that we can reverse this. Do you have any questions?"

Dean looked at the others and knew that they were still trying to figure out what the doctor said. "So, his weight gain had nothing to do with the candy bars he liked to sneak after dinner?" he asked, knowing now that it was a moot point, but somehow he felt it needed to be clarified.

"No, it had nothing to due with candy bars. He had enough toxins in him that, to be quite honest, I'm surprised he's lasted this long."

Seeing that he made his point, he motioned them to follow him down the hallway. Once they got to PICU-3 he opened the door.

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Jim knew when John arrived just by the nervous stance of the doctor after he answered his page. He wasn't sure who he felt sorry for more, the doctor for having to face the Winchester men, or the Winchester men for leaving their most vulnerable member behind while so ill. Taking a deep breath he understood, he felt sorry for Dean, always being pulled in between John and Sam, never really getting a chance to figure out what _he_ needed.

When the door opened he wasn't surprised to see the haggard faces staring inside in horror. He knew that Caleb and Joshua had teamed up on a hunt, and that they both would want to be there to make sure Sam pulled through. Dean's reaction was expected, he looked as if he was about to collapse when he saw all the machines that were hooked to his baby brother. The surprise was John who hovered close to tears but with such anger in his eyes that Jim wasn't sure if it would be safe for Sam to be close to him at the moment.

John stood there and stared at his baby boy and wondered what the hell had happened. The only thing he could think of was the poltergeist in Des Moines, the one that had scooped Sammy up like a ragdoll and flung him against the oak banister like he was nothing. That had to be it, but that was close to three months ago. For three months his little boy had been slowly bleeding out, his kidneys shutting down, and he didn't notice a thing except how it was affecting his training and the hunt. His Sammy was ill and he was going to leave him behind so he could continue unfettered, knowing that Dean would be a partner instead of a distraction. Looking at Dean he could see the truth behind his own self recriminations, he could see how his own selfishness had come close to losing everything that was still dear to them.

Dean knew his dad was kicking himself already, he needed to. Sammy hadn't done anything wrong, but he had still been treated as if he had. Now wasn't the time though, he needed to bring Sammy back to them, because there was no way he was going to lose the best thing that his mom had ever given him. Walking over to the bed he watched Sammy's face. "I think everyone needs to get some coffee." He said brusquely, not caring what they thought of him, he just wanted them gone. Hearing his dad's footsteps getting closer he growled, "You too Dad, get some coffee, eat some lunch, I don't care… just go!"

When the room had cleared, Dean pulled the curtain closed and got into bed with his little brother careful not to disturb any of the wires and tubes that were keeping Sammy alive. Situating Sammy close he started talking to him about their mom and how much she loved him, about the times they had gotten into trouble, and the times they had got out of it, all the while stroking the dark curls like he had when Sammy was a baby. 'You're still my baby, little bro, don't forget that.' He thought, hoping that somehow, someway his little brother knew that it wasn't time to let go.

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AN: Hope you liked it, don't forget to let me know! 


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews, I hope I responded to everyone, if not just know you all gave me great encouragement.

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John sat in the cafeteria not talking, not listening, just thinking about what Sammy must have been going through since that hunt months ago. He and Dean had sat back and watched as the youngest member of their family slowly faded and both of them thought that he was just slacking off. Mentally shaking himself, he knew that he needed to be honest, it had been him. He's the one who thought Sammy wasn't living up to his potential; he's the one who kept pushing. It wasn't until a couple of nurses sat down behind them that John was pulled out of his musings.

"I don't know what to do Karen, the kid is so sick. Dr. Willingham has been on the phone with the surgeons, but the verdict is the same, the kid is just too tired to make it through surgery."

"Maybe the new transfusions will help; you know that most of it is the anemia. Give it a few days…"

"That's the problem, he hasn't told the boy's guardian yet, but he doesn't think he has a few days. The toxins are building up almost as fast as the dialysis can pull them out, and with each treatment…"

"…he gets weaker. I'm so sorry; I know how much you care about your patients."

"It's just that I know that if they could have gotten to it sooner, he would have had a chance. Now it's just a matter of time." The nurse cried softly, heartbroken that they were going to lose such a young person.

Swallowing hard, John looked around the table and knew what they were thinking, it was all his fault; and he couldn't help but agree.

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Dean continued to talk to Sammy and tried to get him to wake up, but nothing seemed to work. As he laid there stroking his little brother's hair he could only hope that Sammy wasn't in any pain.

"Do you have any questions young man?" Dr. Willingham asked, hoping to at least give some comfort.

"Do you think that he's hurting?" Dean asked, trying to ignore the fact that his voice cracked.

Dr. Willingham shook his head, "No, his coma is pretty deep and should he start to come out of it we'll make sure he's not in pain."

"When doc, there's no 'if', it's when. He's coming back. It's not his time yet; got it?" Dean demanded wondering if all doctors talked as if life was a big question mark.

"Of course, you're right. We need to stay positive…"

"No, the only thing positive is that Sammy never quits, he always finishes what he starts, he's always on time, and if he says he's going to do something, he's going to do it… no matter what."

Puzzled, the doctor couldn't help but ask, "What did he promise?"

Looking at Sammy, then at the doctor Dean answered honestly. "He's starting Middle School this year, and he promised that he was going to make straight A's and make us proud. So you see, he has to come out of it, otherwise he can't fulfill his promise."

Nodding, the older man stood there for a moment and watched the two boys in front of him. The youngest who had spent all this time fighting, and the eldest who was more than willing to take over the fight for him. Smiling, he wondered about how these two would interact if Sam was awake. "Do you know where you're father is?" he asked, needing to fill him in on the latest test results.

"I'm right here, and you'd better start telling us the truth about my son." John said from the doorway leaving no doubt that he already knew what was going to be said, and wasn't happy that it was kept from him.

Although still upset about what had been going on behind his back, Dean knew that tone and something big had happened without him knowing. "Dad, what's going on?" he asked, hoping that he was overreacting, but sensing that whatever it was, was bad, really bad.

John knew that the new information had hit him hard, but he also knew that it was going to affect Dean a lot worse. "The doctor failed to mention that they haven't repaired the tear in Sammy's kidney because he wasn't strong enough for surgery, but the dialysis they keep doing is draining his body even more. Isn't that right doc?" he sneered at the man before him, hating him and himself for not being able to do right by his youngest son.

"Mr. Winchester, I assure you that…"

"… that what, Sammy's getting the best possible care? I don't think so, otherwise you would have found a solution by now." John bellowed, his voice echoing in the room and through the halls. "You didn't inform Jim of the risks of waiting, instead making the decision to keep my son on a machine that is known to wear out your patients."

"Mr. Winchester, Sam's lab results proved that we had to take the risk of allowing the medicine to work. Yes, it was a risk, but you have to understand that he is too weak to…"

The doctor had no idea what to think, one moment he was in the middle of the room, the next he was pressed against the wall by a man who looked like he could break him in half. Stunned, he could see that this man would have no problem with killing him and dumping him along some deserted road; the thought sent chills running up and down his spine.

"Never say that Sammy is weak. He is stronger than ten of you on his weakest day, do you understand me? Now, you will do the surgery, you will keep him alive, and when he gets better, you will apologize for ever doubting him. Do we understand each other?" he growled out and watched as the doctor looked around before nodding his head.

As they all watched the doctor rush out of the room to make the arrangements, John felt better; he knew that he just gave Sammy a chance at surviving, he owed him that much at least.

Dean wasn't sure what to think. If what he heard was correct, then his dad just agreed to risk Sammy. "Dad, what are you doing? If Sammy goes in for surgery, he won't make it out."

"Dean, don't sell your brother short. The doctor admitted that Sammy shouldn't have made it this long, but he has which means he's a lot tougher than most people are willing to give him credit for. Let's give him the chance to prove to these guys just how tough Winchester's really are." John said with a determined attitude. There was no way he was going to let his son be just another statistic, not while he could help it.

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It had been over an hour since Sammy had been taken in for surgery, and that left all five remaining men silently waiting for news. Nurse Jenny had taken to peeking in on the operation occasionally and updating them as often as she could, but her latest news hadn't been optimistic; Sammy's vitals were dropping and they were having trouble keeping him from crashing while they repaired the injured kidney.

John felt as if he were made out of lead, every move he made was slow and weighed down. He couldn't lose his boy, especially not this way. Looking over at Dean he saw his eldest felt the same way and he wondered how they would survive without Sammy being their driving force. Funny how he could think that way now, when all this time he had thought it was Mary that kept him going. Now though, as one of his son's was fighting for his life, he realized that it had been the thought of Sammy disappearing in the night as well as the memory of Dean's childhood going up in flames and smoke that kept him going from one hunt to the next in hopes of keeping them safe; of keeping others safe.

Dean wondered how they were going to fix this. He knew his dad and it wouldn't be too long after Sammy got back on his feet that some hunt would come up that couldn't wait. He would have to make a decision, either stay with Sammy, or go with dad. He just couldn't see any other outcome; after all, it was dad who left Sammy to begin with, why would he suddenly change his mind now? Sighing, he looked at the clock again and wondered how his little brother was doing, and if there was any way that Jenny could find out for him. 'Come on little brother, show them what you've got.'

Feeling out of place, Joshua sat and waited as patiently as the others while at the same time hoped that none of them would get kicked out because of their constant grumblings. He remembered the first time he'd met Sammy, he wasn't more than three or four and his big brother was determined that no one was going to get too close. Thinking about that day brought both a sense of humor as well as a sense of dread into him. Sammy had been curious about everything, and a curious Sammy is a force to be reckoned with. The little boy had somehow snuck away from his big brother's watchful eyes and had managed to not only dump a shelf of armaments on his head but knock over the burner that was melting silver at the time. A smile quirked on his lips when he thought about everyone's reaction and Sammy sitting there with big wide eyes _'Sorry, Mr. Joshua for messing up your room'_. He knew right then that the kid had done what so many women had tried for years to do; stolen his heart. Now though, the same boy was fighting for his life all because the people around him couldn't tell the difference between fluid retention and weight gain. 'Come on Sammy, you're stronger than this.' He thought, hoping that whatever deity was watching would intervene on the boy's behalf.

Caleb had always known John to be a hardass, but never cruel; especially to his boys. When Jim had filled him in on exactly what had been going on though, he had a strong urge to yell 'Christo' at John in an attempt to find a reason for what had happened; instead he handed John one of Bobby's special beers and seeing the all clear, they all rushed back to Minnesota. God what a mess. He could see that Dean blamed himself for not believing something else was going on, and he could tell John was kicking himself for not heading Jim's warnings. Now they all were sitting there staring at the floor, the ceiling, the windows trying hard not to go completely out of their heads until they got news that Sammy had made it out of surgery… _if_ Sammy made it out of surgery.

Several hours later Jenny walked in with a somber look on her face. When she saw everyone's expression she knew that this would be the hardest thing that she would have to do, but she wanted to be the one who told them. "Sammy made it through surgery, his vitals are extremely unstable and they're not sure when they can bring him back to his room. Dr. Willingham is staying by his side to monitor him closely, and they want to run another scan before he returns him back here."

The silence in the room was palatable, each person thinking the same thoughts. Sammy made it, but is still in danger. He's fighting, but is he strong enough. "Any idea when we'll be able to see him?" Dean asked, hoping that it would be soon, the wait so far was killing him.

"I'm sorry Dean, I don't know. Everyone is extremely cautious right now about his prognosis; and no one wants to put a time frame on anything. When he stabilizes some more, then they'll bring him back here. I wish I had more news for you."


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Yay! I was finally able to post! Ok... I'm a little nervous about this chapter but was told not to be, so let me know what you think!

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Dr. Willingham continued to watch his young patient and wondered, not for the first time, what to do. He'd already fielded calls from CPS and told them that he believed the injury had been accidental and that the length of time between then and the treatment was most likely only due to lack of knowledge. Now though, he had to wonder how this boy was going to turn out if he was returned to the very family that had obviously ignored his condition for so long.

Reaching out to take Sam's pulse, he was pleased to see that it was steady if not a little elevated. They had lost him twice on the table, and once already in the recovery room, he honestly didn't know if the boy had it in him for another round. Taking a good look at a very young Sam Winchester, he saw the pale features and long dark hair and thought about the reactions of his family when they found out what had happened; it didn't make sense to him, but then again not too many cases involving family dynamics did.

Sensing someone behind him he ventured a guess, "How are you Jenny?"

"I'm sorry doctor, I just came to check on Sam for the family, they're anxious for news." She said quietly, hoping that what she saw on the monitors weren't a true indication of how the boy was doing.

Nodding, the doctor rose from his seat and motioned to Sam. "I'd love to be able to say that he's bounced back unscathed, but I can't. His pulse is strong though which is something considering his BP is bouncing around." Sighing, he stretched a moment. "Why don't you let them know that we're bringing him back to his room and I'll talk to them then."

As Jenny rushed out the door, he turned back to Sam and asked, "I have no idea which path to take with you young man. If I knew that your family could be trusted to take care of you, it would definitely make me feel better about this whole situation."

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Jenny had left the men in her patient's room alone with the news that Sam would be brought up soon, but they somehow knew that this information was just the beginning of another long wait.

Dean wanted to tear into something, and since he hadn't fully accepted his dad back into the fold just yet, then he was the most logical candidate. He still couldn't understand what happened, and worse yet how he had allowed it; his number one job was to keep Sammy safe, but he'd allowed himself to be taken away without lifting a finger to stop it. It made him angry just thinking about it, and he couldn't help but look at the one person he had always looked up to as the person who was now to blame.

Sensing Dean's mood, the others tried to subtly keep John away from the middle Winchester as much as possible knowing that they'd all get kicked out if a fight broke out in the room. Caleb and Joshua had managed to pull John down to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee and watched as the man they had come to call friend went through a myriad of emotions that neither of them could fully grasp.

John sat at the table with a cooling cup of coffee in his hand and he couldn't feel anything; he was numb. All the times that he had told his youngest to try harder, and to be more like his brother had suddenly come back to haunt him. Every time Sammy had gone out to run, only to come back looking like death warmed over and he stood there berating him instead of asking simple questions, those times rushed back to him in a flood bringing tears to his eyes and he wished suddenly for the numbness to return.

"Whatever happened to Winchester's stick together?" John asked quietly to himself, bringing puzzled looks from the other men towards him. "That's what Dean asked me after we found out about Sammy. He accused me of leaving Sammy behind with the intension of not going back." He looked at his friends and saw the uncertainty there before he admitted, "He was right, I was… I did! I couldn't stand to see what he had become, he was supposed to be like us… strong and fit, but instead he was becoming weaker and…" he trailed off not wanted to voice his thoughts any further, knowing that he'd betrayed himself as it was.

"You know Winchester, I never knew you to be such a damn fool idiot before." Joshua started, "That boy would have dug a hole to china with his bare hands if you asked him to, but instead you used his own feeling of wanting to make you happy against him; and look where it's gotten us… Sammy on death's door and you in the middle of a pity party. Well good for you." He said in disgust, not really wanting to look at John anymore, but having to ask one other question. "You know, being the coward that we see you really are; if you hate the kid so damn much, why don't you give him and Dean the chance to be with someone who'll love them with no strings attached?"

Hearing Joshua walk away, John looked at Caleb, "So, that how you feel? You think you're able to tell me how to raise my sons?"

Caleb snorted in disbelief, "John, you're more of an idiot than we thought. They're boys, growing up in a world that doesn't fit in society as it is, they don't deserve to be thought of as possessions on top of it. If you can't be a true father to them, then damn it; give them to someone who can."

Now alone, John sat there and wondered how his friends could have turned on him so quickly especially now that his boy was lying upstairs fighting for his life. Ignoring the coffee, he stood up and made his way to the elevators; he needed to see his boys.

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Sam had been put back in his room and the machinery had been rechecked to make sure everything was working properly before Dean was allowed back in to see him. What he saw scared him more than anything else he had ever encountered. His little brother was so pale that he looked as if he could have blended in with the sheets if it wasn't for his dark hair. Pushing Sammy's bangs away from his eyes, Dean was content to watch the steady rise and fall of his chest, trying desperately to ignore the sound of the machine that was actually helping draw in the breaths of air. He didn't want anyone to disturb them, he wanted this time to himself, but he also knew that was selfish and he wanted his Sammy to know that he was loved.

"_You won't forget about me…?"_

It echoed through his head and made him want to rip his ears out in hopes of never hearing the question again. "I'm so sorry little brother, if I had known, I'd never have gone with dad." He whispered as he stroked Sammy's head.

"Dean," John said from the doorway as he watched his eldest comfort an unresponsive Sammy. "son, he probably doesn't know we're here."

Glaring at his father only for a moment, Dean continued. "Then go, you obviously don't want to be here, so leave… find a hunt somewhere and leave us out of it. I'll let you know when Sammy's better so you can feel better about yourself."

John stood there in shock for a moment, Dean had never spoke to him like that and he wasn't one to let something like this slide. "I am still your father Dean and you will treat me with respect." He demanded, striding into the room with fierce determination.

"Yes, _sir_! Anything you say _sir_!" Dean mocked, knowing that it was pissing his dad off but not caring. His baby brother was hanging on by a thread and he wasn't going to let their father snip that last remaining chance he had.

"Good, you're both here." Dr. Willingham said as he walked into the room, trying to ignore the tension that had mounted between the two men. "I need to speak to you about Sam's surgery." He said as he stood next to the bed and watched the three other men walk into the room. "I won't mince words, it was close… too close. In fact, between the surgery and recovery, we lost him three times, and I don't think we're done yet. His blood pressure is still trying to stabilize, but I was hoping that being here with his family would help to bring some comfort. I must say though, from what I just witnessed, I'm wondering if that was such a good idea."

Everyone looked at each other, suddenly not feeling confident about where this little meeting was heading. It wasn't until they heard the doctor speak again that they knew they were in for more problems.

"I've already had to answer questions from a representative from CPS, and although I was able to tell them that this was just an accident that didn't get treated in time due to ignorance, I'm starting to wonder." Looking over at Dean, Dr. Willingham spoke again. "I have no idea what your relationship is with your father, but I'm confident that you have a good one with your brother and I have to do what is in the best interest of my patient. If you can tell me one thing that your father did to try and alleviate your brother's pain or try to find out what was wrong, then I will take that into consideration. However, if you're not able to, then I'm sorry, but there is more than enough data to show neglect."

Dean stood there in shock, what was he to say… that his father thought that Sammy was just being a brat and instead of going to a doctor took them hunting for more supernatural creatures along the way? Glancing at Jim, he could tell that he was just as perplexed and neither of them knew what to say. Seeing Caleb and Joshua look at each other before looking back at him didn't help either, he felt like he had a spot light on him, but no one had given him his lines.

Dr. Willingham had his answer and he wasn't pleased with what it looked like he would have to do. Sighing, he nodded, "Alright, here's what we got. The kidney's been repaired, and Sam's being given another transfusion to try and help with the anemia. We'll continue with the drug therapy in the hopes that it will kick start the organs into functioning, we should know in the next 24 to 48 hours. As soon as he's more stable and I'm confident that he can handle another treatment, we'll put him on the dialysis machine hopefully for the last time." Closing his notepad after seeing that he'd covered what he needed to, he turned back to the others in the room. "I have other patients to see, but will be back afterwards to check on Sam."

John stood there for a moment and filtered what had been said through his brain, and he didn't like what he heard. Looking at Dean he asked fiercely, "What the hell Dean? Are you trying to get Sammy taken from us?"

"No Dad, your doing a bang up job of that as it is. What was I supposed to say… that we took him to a clinic and they said he was fine? Or how about you had asked Sammy how he was feeling, but wasn't certain if there was really something to be worried about? I couldn't Dad, because none of those things happened. Do you want a recap? How about how he'd drag himself in the house after training and you'd yell at him for being off his mark, or too slow, or my favorite… "Damn it Sammy, you need to drop the weight before you get Dean killed." How's that Dad? Was that what you wanted me to say? Do have any idea what I told Sammy? I told him to do what you said because you knew what you were doing… I stood up for you, and look where it got us, look where it got him!" Dean was close to tears and he turned away not wanting to appear weak. He had more important things to do, mainly bringing his little brother back from wherever he was. "If they take him away Dad, I will make _damn_ sure that you never see either one of us again."


	5. Chapter 5

AN:Hey there... hope everyone likes it... let me know!!!

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John knew he screwed up, how could he not; the problem though was fixing it. How was he supposed to get his oldest son to trust him when he didn't trust himself? He knew what everyone thought of him at the moment, and he had to admit that they weren't that far off. He had been treating his boys more like possessions than his only family, but not for the reasons they thought. He knew what was out there, more than his boys did, and even though it contributed to situations like this he wouldn't have it any other way. His boys only knew a couple of hunters, they didn't know about the hundreds more out there, they had no idea about the places that catered to those that hunted the darkness, the network that strived to stay underground and off the demonic radar. His boys meant more to him than anyone knew, even him. Now he understood what the others saw, what he really felt, and he had no idea how to undo it, so instead allowed the perception to stay while he tried to find a way to get them all through this ordeal they were facing.

"Dean, I'll speak to the doctor. There's no way anyone's taking Sammy from us, I promise you that." John said firmly before casting a glance at his youngest and walking out the door.

Jim watched his friend leave the room and he was more than a little disturbed by what just happened, looking over to the other hunters he saw they felt the same way. John had always been a father who protected his boys, trusting only a rare few to even know of their existence much less care for them. Now though he had allowed his youngest to get so ill that he was dying and to top it off he was making yet another promise that he probably wouldn't be able to keep. It didn't set well with anyone in the room, least of all Dean.

Reaching out to touch his little brother's cheek, Dean wanted so much to see those large eyes look back at him; instead they stayed still leaving him to feel more alone than he had in a long while. He was used to their dad keeping secrets, that's just the way it was for their family, but right now he really wished he knew what was going through his old man's head. Maybe then he'd be able to look at him like he used to, instead of the stranger that he'd become.

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John had quickly found Dr. Willingham in the cafeteria poring over case files in the far corner. He had to admit, the man did seem to care about his patients, it was too bad that his zeal was threatening to take a very important member of his family away. Walking over to the table, he cleared his throat to let the doctor know someone was close, he didn't want to give the impression of being threatening; not yet anyway.

Edmund looked up and inwardly groaned, his back and head hadn't fully recovered from the last toe to toe encounter he had with this man, and he really didn't feel up to another round at the moment. Closing his patient files, he motioned for John to sit in a chair across from him. "Mr. Winchester, I take it you want to talk to me about something."

Shaking his head, John looked at the doctor in front of him. "No, not something, someone. I know that you have your suspicions about me and that's fine, I deserve your censor; I wasn't paying attention to my son's health and it landed us here. My sons however don't deserve your criticism, much less the threat of being torn away from each other. They lost their mother when Sammy was a baby, and too be honest they're closer to each other than either one are to me. So if there was a way that we could get this situation taken care of without involving Protective Services, then I'm more than willing to do it."

As the doctor watched the man talk he noticed how he rubbed his thumb against the wedding ring still on his finger. It made him wonder about a few things, but knew that he'd need to get his answers from a different source. Sighing, he sat back in his chair. "Mr. Winchester, I have no idea what you want me to do. I haven't recanted my initial theory with the social worker yet, but the supervisor had already assigned someone to meet with your boys about what happened. At the moment, it's really out of my hands, although the case worker will come to me to verify some things, and I'll have a say as to which way they steer the investigation, but to be honest I'm not sure…"

"All I'm asking is a chance, that's all." John said, watching the doctor closely, trying to see which way the man would take this. Before he really had a chance to get a feel for what he was looking for, the doctor's pager went off and sent the man's features paling much too fast for John's liking.

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Dean sat by Sammy's bed stroking his head and whispering to his little brother while watching the others in the room talk amongst themselves and he couldn't help but wonder what was so damn important that they couldn't wait until Sammy was better to hash it out. "I'll be right back Sammy, don't go anywhere." He said quietly knowing that more then likely Sammy still didn't hear him. Walking around the bed, he quietly made his way to the group and heard what they were saying, not liking it at all.

"… it's not that I wouldn't want to take them, but damn it I don't know anything about raising kids." Bobby said heatedly, as if he was more at himself than anything.

"Bobby, no one's saying you have to adopt them, but you have a home and a legitimate business. You'd have the best chance out of any of us to…

"To what Caleb, take us off our dad's hands so he can continue to go traipsing across the country without a care in the world?" Dean asked, looking at all three men in turn, watching carefully for each of their reactions.

Jim knew that they should have waited to discuss the situation, but if they had there was a chance that a protective order could be enacted leaving the boys wards of the court; and that was something that he was fighting hard against. "Dean, it's not like that. If CPS gets involved then they can block access to either one or even both of you from all of us. If they even suspect you as a threat to Sammy, they could even keep you from…"

The screeching sound of the heart monitor brought their conversation to and abrupt end making all of them whip around to see Sammy seizing on the bed and then suddenly falls limp to the bed as the rhythm on the monitor suddenly flattened and the tone changed to a solid monotone.

"SAMMY!!!" Dean yelled as the room filled with nurses and doctor's as they attempted to bring the youngest Winchester back.

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John and Dr. Willingham hadn't even made it around the corner before they heard the commotion and by the time the room came into view they could see that Dean was being held back away from the room by Caleb and Bobby with Jim trying to calm him down.

Not wasting time, the doctor ran into the room to assist in trying to stabilize his patient, what he saw wasn't encouraging though as he could tell that they had been try to defibrillate the boy since he'd been paged. "Alright people what have we got?"

John could see what they were doing to Sammy and it tore at him, but he needed to get Dean to calm down before they all got kicked out. Stepping in front of his oldest so he couldn't see what was being done to his brother; he grabbed Dean by the shoulder and forced him to look in his eyes. "DEAN! You need to pull yourself together; you're not helping the situation."

Dean looked at his father and understood, his falling apart could get them removed from the floor; from his Sammy. "Yeah, yeah… ok, I'm ok. Sammy, how's…"

"We got him back Dean." Dr. Willingham said at the door. "I don't know how, but we did."

Watching the room empty of the other medical personnel, the hunters worried about what they'd see when they walked back in. Seeing the youngest of their family looking more wrung out than when they brought him in made them all feel as if they had been kicked in the gut, and none wanted to say what they thought. 'He's dying right in front of us.'

"He's exhausted; I'm adding another prescription to help bring his red blood cells back up as well as another unit of blood. If we could get a unit from a direct relative, it would be better for him; less chance of rejection." He watched as both John and Dean shed their jacket and outer layer in preparation. "Alright, I guess we'll be able to give him two units, even better. I need to be straight with you though, this might not be enough. I've already mentioned that he's tired, but what we don't know is just how tired. That's the fourth time we've had to jump start his heart, and each time we do it is a risk to his heart."

Dean didn't like what he was hearing and he definitely didn't like the vibe he was getting, but before he had a chance to voice his opinions, he was beat to it.

"So what you're saying is that we're damned if we do and damned if we don't, right?" John asked, knowing that no matter what happened his boy was going to be left in a precarious situation. Seeing the confirmation in the doctor's eyes he nodded. "Then I guess it's better to be damned for doing something than not."

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Dean was back in his position sleeping with his little brother, a hand on his chest to make sure that he woke at the first sign of trouble. Jim and Bobby had made another coffee run while Caleb kept watch over the Winchester boys. John had disappeared shortly after seeing both units of blood were hung and dripping, not saying where he was going or when he'd be back.

The evening passed without any further incident and everyone tried to take it for the good news that it appeared to be. As morning dawned the hunters were starting to get anxious to hear from John, it wasn't unusual for the man to leave the boys alone but it was unusual to leave them alone when this ill. Hearing the groan coming from the bed, they smiled and looked over to seen Dean check on his brother before getting off the bed.

"Ok, so who's got the coffee?" he asked, looking around to find a cup.

Bobby laughed at the look on Dean's face when they gave him an empty paper cup before they gave him the real stuff from a diner down the street. Rubbing his eyes Dean finally found the humor after he had almost finished the cup. Afterwards, it was only because he was aiming for the small waste basket that he saw something that made him jump up and hit the nurse call button.

When Nurse Jenny rushed in she wasn't sure what to expect, but the huge smile on Dean's face wasn't it. "What… Dean, what's going on?"

"LOOK!" Dean exclaimed at the nearly full foley bag hanging under the bed. "His kidneys are working!"


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Hope you enjoy, let me know!!!

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After being paged even before his rounds had started, Dr. Willingham was anxious to see the patient that had everyone hopping. Being greeted by a happy brother was always a good sign, but what really made him optimistic was the fact that the nurse had filled him in on his patient's progress in the night. Giving Sam a cursory examination, he quickly realized that the boy was indeed improving. Letting out a very relieved sigh, he smiled and turned to the others.

"It looks like Sam's starting to pull through this. I'm ordering a few tests to be conducted as soon as possible so we can hopefully see just how much progress he's made. I want to keep him on his current medicine's to help his body flush out as much as possible, but with the output already given, I feel safe to say that he won't have to have another round of dialysis after all."

Dean almost collapsed in the chair behind him. He couldn't believe it; his Sammy was beating the odds. He was sure he was grinning like a loon, but he couldn't help it, his little brother was getting better.

Joshua had just walked back in the room when he heard the commotion and was relieved that little Sammy was improving, it didn't help the situation at hand though; John Winchester was still missing. He knew the others were hoping that he had news, but it was as if the man had vanished into air. Shaking his head, he let the others know that he hadn't had any luck, then he walked up to Sammy. "Glad you're going to be alright kiddo."

Jim left to get breakfast for everyone while Caleb and Joshua talked about their next step. Caleb knew that Dean was excited and couldn't blame him, but the fact still remained that there was an investigation about the boys and none of them knew how it was going to turn out. They kept glancing at Dean who was spending his time talking to his little brother as if everything was alright, and the youngest Winchester was just in a quiet mood.

Bobby had gone to the waiting room to make some phone calls which proved about as beneficial as a howitzer fighting off mosquitoes. The more he searched, the more frustrating it all became. Finally he decided that he wasn't going to accomplish anything and made him back to the room in time to see Sam being wheeled out for his tests. Looking around, he decided to make sure the kid stayed where he was supposed to, and followed the orderly down the hall.

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After seeing his little brother being wheeled out of the room, Dean felt more tired than he had since that hunt months ago that got them in this mess to begin with. Stretching his body, he was anxious for Jim to get back so they could at least eat; hopefully by the time he was done then Sammy would be back.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Sam Winchester's room." The voice from the doorway stated, obviously trying to be polite even though there was no way to miss that she already knew who's room it was to begin with. "My name is Cara Kline and I've been assigned to Sam's case. Do you have a moment? I promise not to be too long."

Dean watched the woman make her way into the room and the warning bells in the back of his head sounded. "I take it you're from CPS, didn't take you long to get here." He said evenly, not wanting to sound threatening, but not wanting her to have the upper hand either.

Smiling, Ms. Kline nodded and produced her business card. "I'm just here to get a few answers to a few questions, and then I can go back to my boss and let him make a final decision."

Caleb and Joshua looked at each other and knew something was wrong, terribly wrong. "Uh, excuse me miss, but isn't it a little early for your workday to be starting? I mean, the doctor hasn't even officially started his rounds yet."

"Don't worry; Dr. Willingham is next on my 'need to talk to' list. Now, what I need to know is if anyone attempted to get young Sam after his injury?"

Looking at the woman Dean had no idea what to say, the woman was persistent. "Uh, actually, we didn't realize he was hurt. He took a fall, but he seemed fine… nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't until later that he started acting a little off." Dean said, wondering why he was sharing information with her in the first place, that's not what they did if they could help it.

Joshua was wondering what was going on. The woman was acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. She hadn't asked about the family, just jumped right in with the more devastating questions. Deciding it would be better to step in now than wait, he spoke to the woman across from them, "I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but don't you normally schedule an appointment first? I'm sorry Miss, but I really think that you need to wait until the boys' father and their attorney are here before anyone answers anymore questions.

Ms. Kline looked at him calmly before stating. "Usually, those who are innocent of wrongdoing have no need of legal assistance."

"What can I say, these aren't usual circumstances. Now I must really as you to wait until their father is here." Joshua insisted, not wanting to stand from his chair since it could be perceived as a threat, and that would just make matters worse.

Looking over at Dean, Ms. Kline smiled, "Dean, you're brother was hurt and denied treatment for several months; he almost died. I can make sure that you and he are safe; please don't make me go to more drastic means."

Knowing what drastic means she meant, Dean was ready to punch his fist through a wall but looked at her instead. "I know that you're just doing your job, but you're wasting your time here. No one is hurting Sammy, no one is hurting me, so why don't you go and find someone who is in more need of your services."

Seeing that this wasn't the right time to push the issue, she instead decided to attempt to build trust. Pulling another card from her purse, she placed it on the bed tray. "I'm only a phone call away Dean." Looking at the other men in the room she schooled her features. "I will inform my supervisors so they can take appropriate action."

They watched her leave and all three had a very bad feeling about what just happened.

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Bobby knew that he looked out of place outside of radiology, but there was no way he was going to let Sam out of his sight if he could help it. He had answered a few people's questions and was starting to feel a little foolish about being so damn paranoid when he heard Sam's doctor arguing with someone down the hall.

"Look, I told you that there is no real evidence to prove that they knew what was going on. Since none of them have medical backgrounds, they cannot be held accountable." Dr. Willingham practically yelled at the other person.

"Doctor, I appreciate the nuances of the situation. However you have to agree that this whole case screams that there is something more than what they have told you. You need to let us do our jobs and…"

"and what… rip a family apart for no reason other than an honest mistake? Mr. Baker, I've already discussed this case with your supervisor and I understand that you want to make certain the investigation is done properly, but there is no way I'm allowing you to take the boy away from his family while he's still recovering."

"Give us a little more time. Anna is upstairs right now talking with the brother, if all goes well…"

Dr. Willingham laughed, "You haven't seen this family together, and you sure as hell don't know anything about those brothers. The oldest… Dean, he hasn't left his little brother's side. Friends of the family had to bodily remove him from the room while we worked to bring Sam back. There is no way that you're going to get what you want out of that boy."

"All we want is a chance to prove our case, that's all. Once we get them, or even just Sam, away from their father, then I'm sure more information will become available. Until then we need that recommendation from you."

Bobby listened intently, wondering what the doctor was going to do. He'd heard of cases involving CPS workers so determined to show that they were doing their job, they completely forgot what their job was, but he'd never seen one in action before; this definitely didn't look good for the Winchesters.

"You get me proof that those boys have been mistreated and I'll personally sign a restricted access order, until then I believe that you and your partner need to get out of here; you're not beneficial to my patient's recovery."

Ducking around another corner, Bobby saw Sam's doctor walk into radiology while another man, this one in a suit, walked past. Wondering how things were going, he peeked in the doorway and was able to witness a wonderful sight.

"Sam… Sam, you need to calm down. I'm Dr. Willingham, and your family is going to be so happy to see you awake. How about we see if we can get rid of this tube now…"

Backing out the door, Bobby knew that Dean was going to be over the moon; too bad his Daddy was still MIA.

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Jim got an earful as soon as he stepped into the room, and after putting the breakfasts' down and deciphering what had been said to him, he understood that their time was quickly running out. Since he still had guardianship over Sam he knew he'd be able to authorize any legal action that would protect the boy's rights, his only problem was who to call; it wasn't as if the hunting community had their own legal representation, although wouldn't it be great if they did.

Thinking of one particular attorney in his parish, Jim called immediately and hoped that he hadn't interfered in one of the man's precious moments with his daughter; everyone knew that there wouldn't be too many more moments as it was and he didn't want to be the cause of them short.

The call was picked up on the second ring showing immediately that Frank Barnes had been up for awhile and needed a break from whatever legal research he was already in the with the family after making a few phone calls on Sam's behalf. Feeling relieved, Jim hung up the phone and looked at Dean.

"One of my parishioners, Frank Barnes, will handle the legal aspect, he'll want to meet with you in a little while."

Dean thought a moment then realized where he'd heard the name before. "Jim, doesn't Frank have a little girl, Missy or Sissy? Sam mentioned her, said that he was worried about her family. Is she sick?"

Sighing, Jim nodded, "Yes, poor girl has Sickle Cell Anemia and the treatments that have worked before are failing now. I'm not surprised that Sam mentioned her, they seemed to have gotten along quite well the few times that Missy had attended Mass."

Thinking about how his little brother was about to lose yet another friend, and how he would have been alone to deal with it made him sick to his stomach. Vowing not to make the same mistakes, Dean made his decision all the while hoping that it wouldn't come down to it.

"Hey guys, I have a surprise for you." Bobby said as he walked into the room followed by an orderly pushing Sammy's bed into place.

As they watched the man do his job to ensure the patient had everything in place, the others took in that there was less machinery than before and it looked as if the kid's eyes were opening.

"Oh my God, SAMMY! You're awake!" Dean exclaimed before grabbing his little brother in a hug.

"Hey Dean… what's goin' on?" Sam whispered, still not sure what had been going on or even where exactly he was.

Laughing, Dean was almost at a loss for words. "What's going on is that we've been waiting for Sleeping Beauty to wake up. God Sammy, its go good to see you. How are you feeling?"

Looking around, Sam had no idea what to say to that so instead answered honestly, "Confused."

Understanding slowly filtered through the hunters' brains and they all didn't know how to handle the situation. Jim finally stepped up and patted Sam on the hand. "You've been extremely ill Sam, but now you're getting better and we hope will be out of here in no time."

Everyone nodded in agreement and watched as the boy thought about that before he asked the question they were all dreading.

"Oh, ok… so, where's Dad?"


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Ok, I'll admit... I'm not totally satisfied with this chapter, but hopefully you'll like it anyway... let me know, ok???

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Ryan Baker was tired of losing kids to the constant bureaucracy that he and his co-workers constantly had to maneuver through. Now he was about to lose another one before he or Anna even got a chance to help. Days like these made him wonder why he even began working as a Social Worker to begin with.

Walking out of the elevator and entering the Lobby he was surprised by the person he saw in front of him. "Anna, what happened?" he asked, knowing that it would have taken longer for her to have gotten kicked out of the room.

"I'll tell you what happened – NOTHING!" Anna practically yelled, "I got upstairs before I was snagged to side by someone claiming that she was assigned to take over the case."

Puzzled, Ryan looked at Anna wondering if there was a possibility she misunderstood, but knew that she wasn't one to take something like that lightly. "Did you ask for…"

"Ryan, I'm not an idiot; of course I did. She had ID, but I've never seen her before and I can't get hold of the office."

Knowing that their best bet would to go in person, he quickly escorted her to his car and they drove quickly in the direction of their office. Neither wanting to admit just how much being sent on a wild goose chase upset them.

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Cara Kline knew that she was short on time. By the time the real social workers talked to their supervisor and got back, she figured she had a solid two hours; not a lot of time, but enough if the others came through like they should.

She had no qualms with little Sammy Winchester, in fact from what she'd seen he was a nice enough kid. The problem she had was the kid's father, John Winchester, the one who botched up her last hunt so badly she had lost practically everything. Now though she had a plan, she was going to get what was taken from her and little Sammy was the key.

It was unnerving how many hunters were actually around, but she wasn't too worried, after all she had let her brother Chris deal with them preferring to stay in the backgrounds until the actual hunt came around then she wanted to be next to her brother doing what they did best; kill evil and move on.

Feeling the vibration in her pocket, she took her phone out and read the text groaning at the meaning. Her friends had been held up which meant that her narrow timetable got even narrower. Sending a text back she quickly reformulated her plan, it was riskier, but the payoff was still well worth it.

Checking the time once more, she rushed down the hall to get as much done as possible. This would be her greatest achievement; taking something from the great John Winchester right from under his nose.

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Sam looked around and knew the answer to his question, but he was determined not to cry. After all he'd spent a month without his dad or brother, so why would he think that anything had changed now? Looking at his brother, he tried to smile. "Thanks Dean." He said quietly, trying to keep his eyes open.

Puzzled, Dean didn't understand and asked, "For what Sammy?"

"Coming to visit me… thanks." Sam answered as he drifted back to sleep, missing the horrified look on his brother's face.

Seeing that Sammy was asleep again, Dean turned to the others, "What the hell? I mean seriously, _what the hell_. What have you guys been filling him with that he'd think that I wouldn't be here?"

The others didn't answer, just allowed the young man the opportunity to answer that for himself. It didn't take long for Dean to see what had been staring him in the face, what he hadn't wanted to admit to. He was the one who walked away, and Sammy knew what was happening. 'Damn!' he thought, wondering if he was ever going to be able to make it up to his little brother.

"Alright, I've got Sam's scan results back and it looks as if everything is actually working pretty well considering what they've been through. I'm going to continue the antibiotic, but discontinue the other meds so his body can start working on its own. As long as he continues to respond well then I don't see why he can't go home by the end of the week with the condition that he follows the guidelines that I give him." Dr. Willingham said happily, knowing that the group in the room had been waiting for some good news for quite awhile.

"Thanks doc, we appreciate everything you've been doing for Sam." Bobby said as he watched Dean mull everything over in his mind; He had no doubt the boy was kicking himself over what had happened.

Smiling, the doctor nodded and checked on his patient quietly before turning back to the group. "He's making great progress, but he's got quite a ways to go. Even once released he's going to have to take it easy for awhile, not just from the surgery, but from the sever anemia as well. He'll need to eat regular healthy meals to help get his iron level back up and to help his body get rid of the toxins that has built up, so don't expect him to run any marathons for awhile, ok?" he asked trying to make a joke, but something about the way everyone looked at each other made him feel as if the joke was actually on him. Hearing a page for another patient, he excused himself and left quickly.

Dean looked at his brother and couldn't help but wonder what they were going to do now. An idea came to mind and he looked at Jim, "Do you think that one of your parishioners would have a place for me to work?"

Not exactly sure where this was heading, Jim looked at Dean for a moment before answering, "I'm sure there's a few people looking for general laborers, why?"

"If Dad's not back by the time Sammy gets out of here, then I'm taking him and I don't care what I'll have to do to keep him. Hell, I've been the one taking care of him his whole life anyway so there wouldn't be any real difference except we'd be in one place."

Joshua could tell that Dean meant it, and he couldn't blame him at all. John was still out of pocket and no one had seen or heard from him. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought that his friend had been killed and left in the middle of nowhere; but he did know better, John was too damn stubborn to die. That left the idea that either he'd truly abandoned his boys, and that wasn't likely, or he had something up his sleeve that he didn't feel comfortable mentioning to anyone. Yeah, that was more like the John Winchester he knew.

Caleb knew that the kid meant what he said, but he couldn't help but feel nervous about the whole situation. Something stunk to high heaven and at the moment that was John Winchester; none of this was living up to the standards that he knew about the man. Sure he was obsessed to the point of crazed, but he was never known to separate the boys from the other – ever! It just wasn't done. John could be gone for weeks at a time, but Dean was there taking care of things. They all might hunt together, but it was known that Dean and Sam were partners, hardly ever apart. So what changed now?

"Dean, I think we all need to get some lunch. How about one of us stays with Sam and the others get some food and come back here?" Jim asked, hoping that it would be Dean to be one of those that left; the boy needed some fresh air.

"That's a good idea, Jim. Could you grab me a cheeseburger, fries, and coke? Oh! Extra onions on the burger. Thanks!" Dean said while he sat and watched his little brother's face. He could already tell that he was getting some color back, which was always a good sign. Now all he had to do was make sure Sammy came back all the way.

Sensing they wouldn't be able to get Dean out of there any time soon, the hunters decided to take a few moments to regroup and compare notes; something definitely wasn't right about this situation.

The hunters were on their way back to the hospital when after deciding that whatever Dean and Sam needed, they all would make sure to support them; after all, if John wasn't going to step up didn't mean the rest of them would follow suit.

With the decision made all four were ready to fill the boys in on the plan except for one major inconvenience; they couldn't get in.

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Dean was glad that he had a few minutes alone with his brother. He appreciated the others being there for Sammy, but he had been feeling more than a little suffocated with them constantly around. It was bad enough that he had no idea how to answer Sammy's question, but with everyone so damn quiet he knew that the answer was going to fall on him.

As he continued to watch Sammy sleep, he was content to listen to the rhythm of the monitor ticking off the heartbeats in a wonderfully consistent manner. He would later use that as his excuse as to why he hadn't picked up on the change in sounds sooner. It wasn't until Nurse Jenny rushed in the room that he came into full focus and realized that something was wrong.

"We have to evacuate everyone out of the hospital," she said with a loud whisper, "someone called in a bomb threat and it looks like its legit."

Looking at the nurse as if she was about to yell "Gotcha!", Dean tried to comprehend what he had been told. 'Who really puts bombs in a hospital for Christ's sake?' in thought harshly. Seeing that Jenny had already turned off the heart monitor and unhooked the leads from the machine, then quickly but as gently as she could removed the catheter before she rushed to the door and called for someone across the hall.

"This is Sam and he hasn't been out of bed yet, in fact he just woke up today. We need to get him out of here without hurting him, any ideas?" she asked the orderly.

The orderly smiled and nodded, "Dr. Willingham already told me to get one of the more portable gurneys ready for this one. Don't worry so much Jenny; we'll get the kid out of here safe and sound."

Dean watched as Jenny woke Sam and explained that they were going to have to move him and she wanted him to sleep through it in case he got jarred more than they intended. After administering a sedative, Jenny smiled and turned back to Dean.

"I have a few other patients that need to be prepped, but I'll be right back. Don't worry though; we'll be out of here in no time."

Watching the nurse leave made Dean wonder how much time they had to get everyone out and if it was too early to break a window and toss Sammy down to safety.

"Excuse me, Dean, but can I have a few moments of your time now?" a female voice asked from the doorway.

'Ah jeez, my day is just getting better and better.' Dean thought as he looked over and saw none other than Cara Kline, CPS.

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Cara had been lucky that her partners hadn't taken as long as initially thought, and that when she had called to check on the location of both Ryan Baker and Anna Cane, she had been informed that they both were in a meeting that didn't look end anytime soon. So far everything was working smoothly, now all she had to do was get rid of the boy's watchdog.

Knowing that she was on a tight schedule she had placed the call about the bombs to give her enough time to get into position and play her part. Her friends would help her take care of the rest when the rest of the unsuspecting players in her game got into position.

She knew that the hunters had left for lunch, leaving both boys alone making her job a whole lot easier. As she watched the nurse tend to the youngest Winchester she was amazed at how much easier this was going to be than she initially anticipated. Making sure that neither Dean nor the nurse saw her, she backed around the corner to wait. As soon as she heard the nurse leave, she looked at her watch and knew it was time.

"Excuse me, Dean, but can I have a few moments of your time now?" she asked, watching carefully for any signs that the young man suspected anything. Satisfied, she continued. "Dean, we can either do this here and now, or it will be in a whole different setting all together. I'm not the enemy here, I just need the answers to some very routine questions and then I can go. If we hurry, we can be done before they come back to move your brother."

Seeing that the boy was torn over what he should do, she waited patiently until he finally nodded, making only one demand.

"We stay here though; I'm not leaving my brother alone."

Satisfied that she had made progress, she nodded while walking into the room and had just pulled a notebook out of her bag when the fire alarms sounded and everything changed.

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Dean was more than a little surprised when he heard the fire alarm; he wasn't expecting that would help with the nice quiet evacuation that they had initially planned. Feeling more unease creep into him, he positioned himself in between the woman and Sammy, suddenly not feeling at all cooperative. Before he could tell her to leave however, she was already wilting to the floor while a man in a lab coat stepped over her and walked past him towards the bed.

"Dad? What the hell are you… I mean, not that I… but, what the…" Dean tried to ask, but couldn't seem to form the words.

John looked at his eldest and smiled, "Don't worry Dean, I only knocked her out, she's mostly human you know. Now come on, we need to get your brother out of here, she's not working alone."

Not knowing what else to do, Dean helped his dad wrap his little brother in the blankets and then was surprised to see the man tenderly pick Sammy up in his arms.

"Son, if you ever trusted me before, you need to now."

That gave Dean a moment of pause as he ran through everything that had been happening recently, but then he remembered the times in the past when his dad was really the super hero he had always thought him to be. Nodding, Dean followed his dad and little brother out the door and headed towards an exit that didn't seem as crowded. He noticed his dad kept looking around as if expecting someone to try and stop them, which put him on edge and pulling his gun out of his pocket, keeping it to his side in case something else unexpected happened. They had just made it to the ground floor and outside one of the side entrances when Dean heard his father speak again.

"Sorry I was gone so long son, it couldn't be helped. That woman back there has been holding a grudge against me since her brother died in a screwed up hunt. I never thought she'd go after you boys though, so when I noticed one of her pals lurking around I knew that someone had been talking when they shouldn't and I needed to make sure that you two were safe." John said as he hurried to a black truck in the parking lot. "Get in, I'll hand Sammy to you."

Dean settled Sammy in the front seat with him, all the while more questions popped in his head. "Dad, you can't be serious. You left to keep us safe? Do you know how idiotic that sounds?"

"I know son, and it's not something that I'm proud of, but you'll see what I've been doing soon enough. Right now we need to concentrate on getting out of here otherwise she'll get her way and we'll be dead; that includes Sammy." John said sternly, hoping to leave without being noticed, then suddenly seeing that that wasn't going to happen. "Damn it! I thought they were still in the building. Hang on to Sammy, Dean; this could get a little tricky."

Tightening his hold on Sammy, Dean looked back and saw that they were being followed by a couple of guys who didn't look they knew how to have fun. It wasn't until the back window was blown out that he knew they were in trouble; his only consolation was that Sammy was still oblivious to what was going on.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Hope you all like it... let me know...

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By the time Jim found Bobby and Caleb again, they were all more worried than had been. The bomb scare had been a hoax according to authorities, but the hunters knew the truth; it had been a diversion. Now no one could account for where Sam was and none of them had seen Dean, which gave the other men an unsettled feeling deep in their stomachs.

"I think we should go back to the rectory and try to figure this out." Jim said grudgingly, he hated the idea of leaving but he had a feeling they would accomplish more away from the scene.

Caleb looked around and couldn't get rid of the feeling that they were being watched; he hated feeling disadvantaged. "Yeah ok, before we go though, were the hell is Joshua?"

Jim and Bobby started looking around as well then realized that whatever was happening, the other hunter was right in the middle of it.

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Joshua had barely seen the tall man carrying a limp bundle around the corner followed by a very distinctive and very armed Dean. Knowing that there had to be a reason why John was making a great escape while Sammy was still recovering, he did what any friend would do; he hotwired a car and started to follow a respectable distant to see what his idiotic friend was really up to. It didn't take long for him to realize that maybe it was the rest of them who were idiots, and John the only one who had a clue to what was really going on.

He had been following only a short amount of time before he got cut off by another vehicle. That in itself wouldn't have bothered him so much if not for the fact that it wasn't two minutes later that the people in the car in front of him was shooting at the very people he considered family. Seeing that John was trying to get a little distance between his truck and their car, he took the initiative to pull along side the others and attempt to run them off the road. With the attention now switched from John and the boys to him, Joshua was more than willing to end the chase, if it wasn't for the fact that they were starting to shoot at _him_; and if that wasn't the surest way to piss him off, he didn't know what was.

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John knew that they might have a chance once he caught a glimpse of who was in the car behind his pursuers. Of course that left the whole other thought of whether he should be upset that his so-called friend was following him to begin with. Feeling that the here and now wasn't the time to be debating his relationships with his friends, he instead concentrated on the road and accelerated to try and give them enough space to maneuver when the opportunity presented itself.

Risking a quick glance, he checked his boys over and could tell that Dean was doing his best to keep his little brother as still as possible. It was a valiant effort, but with as many sudden turns as they'd been doing, it was next to impossible to keep Sammy from flopping around even just a little.

"Dean, how fast do you think you can get Sammy out and hidden?" he asked suddenly, shocking Dean out of his thoughts.

Wondering if his dad had completely lost his mind he stared at him for a minute before admitting, "I don't know Dad. If he's moved too much…"

"I know son, I don't want you to risk hurting him, but there's another turn and it leads to an alley. I've parked the Impala in an alcove, if I stop for a moment do you think you can get Sammy out and hidden long enough for everyone to pass before you both take the car and go?" John asked, hoping that he wouldn't have to sit there and splinter his concentration between the road and explaining himself.

"Dad, I don't understand, go where?"

"Damn it Dean, this isn't the time. If those guys catch us, we're dead, they're not going to take into consideration that Sammy's sick. Get him to the car and follow the coordinates. I left money in the glove box in case you need to stop." He told Dean sternly, seeing the alley coming into view. Making a sudden turn into the alley, he went about a third of the way in before he stopped, "Go Dean, grab Sammy and for God's sake don't stop!"

Not hesitating any further, Dean picked his little brother up into his arms and after quickly kicking the truck door shut, hid behind a stack of boxes that were being thrown away. Having just ducked out of sight, he heard the other car squeal into the alley and follow after his dad. He had almost stepped out of his hiding place when he remembered the words his father used and instead waited to see who else would be coming down the alley. He wasn't disappointed to see another car as it flew past giving the distinct impression that it wouldn't have slowed down for anything, leaving him grateful that he had followed his instincts.

Looking down he saw Sammy's eyes flutter before opening.

"Dean?" Sammy asked hesitantly. "Dean… what?"

Quickly walking to the car, Dean was shocked that the doors were already unlocked. "Don't worry little brother, I'm here and we're getting out of Dodge." He had meant it to help alleviate any stress, but his humor had only served to confuse his sibling more. "It's ok Sammy; Dad knows where we're heading. Go back to sleep you'll feel more comfortable."

Dean watched as Sam drifted back to sleep before he buckled the boy as securely as possible. Taking a moment, he looked in the glove box and saw not only the envelope of cash so they could stop somewhere and eat and even sleep, but a note.

_Dean,_

_I know that this doesn't make sense at the moment, just know that your brother has been targeted by some very ruthless people to get back at me. Here's enough money to last you until we meet up again. Take care of yourself and your brother, I'll see you soon._

_Dad _

At the bottom was a set of coordinates. Pulling out the map, he saw that he they were heading to a place called Ohio, Illinois.

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John hated leaving his boys like that, but as soon as he saw the other car pull into the alley as he was reaching the end of it, he knew he made the right decision. Pulling onto the road he tried to pace himself just enough to keep the other vehicles close enough to lure them away from the only things that he felt he had to live for.

Seeing that the first car behind him was closing in fast, he took a chance and slammed on his brakes and steered to the side. Once at a full stop, he saw the two men jump out of the car armed and aiming at his truck. Smiling, he pulled the shotgun from in between the bench seat and the driver's door, and not bothering to aim, shot at the men while he grabbed a Beretta from under the seat and positioned himself behind the truck while keeping them in sight.

"Give up Winchester, it's either going to be you or your kid; either way justice is served." One of the men shouted towards him.

John couldn't believe the audacity of these morons; like he'd hand over his boy to them, sure and he'd just give up hunting and start crocheting on the back porch too. Smirking at that thought, he looked over and saw Joshua move into position giving him another moment to make the decision. Shaking his head twice and nodding once, he waiting for the answering nod before he raised his gun and shot the man on the left once in the head while Joshua took the man on the right. There was no need to keep them around, he already knew who had recruited them and why, he also knew that it was the only way to ensure his sons safety.

"You know John, the next time you cook up a plan how about letting the rest of us know." Joshua said while slapping him on the back. "I'm making the assumption that you already have decided…"

"Yeah, I know a place." John said solemnly, wishing that things hadn't gotten to this point, but not regretting doing what he felt he had to.

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Dean knew they needed to stop soon; Sammy had started moving around to get comfortable and they'd only been on the road for an hour and a half. Looking around he saw a small diner and pulled in as close to the door as possible before he realized that they had a whole only problem; Sammy was still in a hospital gown.

"Ok Sammy, I'm going to grab a pair of sweats for you for now. When we get to where we're going I'll make sure to get you some clothes, ok?" Dean asked, seeing that his little brother was truly miserable. When he didn't get a response, he knew that there was more going on than he thought. "Uh, alright then… stay right here and I'll be right back."

Sliding out of the Impala, he quickly opened the trunk and instinctively reached for his bag but something else caught his eye. Sammy's backpack was lying next to his along with another much smaller bag. Picking up the paper sack he looked inside and shook his head. 'Damn Dad, you really did think of everything didn't you?' he thought while looking at the prescriptions that had the name Samuel Maxwell on it. 'Guess I know what alias to use this time.'

After helping his brother put on his own clothes, they slowly made their way into the diner. Dean knew that Sammy wasn't ready for walking that far yet, but they didn't have much of a choice. Reaching the nearest table, they both fell into the booth and managed a sigh before a waitress placed water, silverware, and menus in front of them. Shocked at the speed that she exhibited, the both looked up at her smiling face.

"Oh come on now, you two were moving more like old men, it didn't take me that long to gather up everything." She said, appraising both of them before nodding, "So, do you two want a few minutes, or do you have a general idea of what you'd like?"

Knowing that he was starving, but that Sammy probably wouldn't feel like eating much, Dean wasn't exactly sure what to get. It wasn't until he heard his little brother speak that he knew he made the right choice in stopping for a little while.

"Uh, yeah, I think I'm supposed to have something light still, so maybe a soup and I know that my brother didn't have lunch so he'll have a cheeseburger with everything, fries, a coke, and uh… a slice of that pie you have on the counter."

The waitress had a feeling that these two had been through a lot and were about to go through some more. Smiling again, she turned towards the kitchen and had made it two steps before she turned back around. "You know, there's a motel down the road if you need to stop and rest for a bit. It's not much, but it's clean and cheap. Just thought you'd like that information in case you were thinking about stopping for awhile."

The boys nodding and let her get back to work before they turned to each other. Dean could tell that the traveling was wearing his Sammy out already, and he didn't want to risk what progress he'd already made.

"Dean, I can sleep in the backseat if you want to just drive, it's ok with me." Sam said quietly, he really didn't know what was going on, but if his brother was going to keep him around then he wasn't going to make a fuss.

Watching his brother, he knew that something was really bothering him, but decided to wait until they were more comfortable to find out. "You know Sammy, I have to agree that you need some rest, but honestly I'm not comfortable stopping just yet. How about I set you up in the backseat and you let me know when you need to stop for any reason, ok?"

Sam nodded, but knew that there was no way he was going to let his brother know how bad he was feeling right now; he didn't want to risk being sent back to Pastor Jim's.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: I hope you all like... let me know!!!

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Dean watched as his little brother carefully ate his soup and drank his water in the same length of time that it took him to eat his burger, fries, pie and coke. That wasn't too disturbing though as he knew that it was the first thing that Sammy had eaten since waking up, what had him concerned was the fact that he couldn't seem to sit still.

"Hey bro, what's up with you?" he asked, wondering what was really going on.

Unease was building up in Sam fast and he had no idea how to address the situation without embarrassing himself in the process. Seeing that Dean wasn't going to let it go, he quietly muttered, "I need to go to the bathroom, but I'm not sure if I can make it by myself."

"Dude, you should have said something, that's what I'm here for." Dean said as he moved out of the booth and helped Sammy up. "I'll help get you there, but after that you're on your own."

Sam nodded and smirked, hearing the underlying affection in his brother's voice. He knew that if he needed help, Dean would be close by. "Ok, thanks Dean."

Making the decision that it would be better for Sammy in a stall instead of a urinal, Dean helped get him settled before waiting by the sinks. After a few moments he heard his little brother mutter something about not knowing he could pee that much, and Dean felt like he'd been hit upside the head. 'Of course he's going to pee more, they had him on so much medicine it's going to take awhile for it to run through his system. Damn it, why didn't I think about that, and how long has he had to go?' Feeling horrible for not taking something so basic into consideration, Dean made a mental note to stop every hour for a few minutes to make sure _all_ needs were taken care of from now on.

"Uh Dean, I hate to ask, but do you…"

Before Sam had the opportunity to finish his sentence Dean reaching for his arm to help him out of the bathroom. "Ok Sammy, here's the deal. You have meds that you need to take before we leave here, so I'm going to put you in the booth and get them, ok?"

Shaking his head, Sam concentrated on his footing while he spoke, "Actually, can we just go? I mean, we're done eating right, and we have water in the car for anything I need to take, I think we should just head out."

Looking at Sammy, Dean had to wonder what was going on in that freakishly brainy head of his brother's, the kid had major surgery not to mention the complications and he could barely walk fifty feet without looking like he was going to fall over; so what was making the kid think they had to rush to go to who knew where to begin with. Promising himself he'd get to the bottom of it later, he nodded and guided Sammy out to the Impala and helped to get him settled in the backseat before returning to pay and thanking the waitress. By the time he made it back, Sammy was sound asleep propped on the pillows against the door.

"Aw Sammy, damnit… why didn't you tell me you were that tired?" he asked, truly wondering when he and his little brother had lost their connection.

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Jim had just finished making a pot of coffee while Bobby and Caleb were listening to the police scanner when they heard the sound of a truck pull up and both doors being slammed shut. Not wanting to take any chances, all three men made sure they were armed before easing towards the door to wait for whoever it was to make themselves known. None of them recognized the truck in the driveway, and with the questions that were popping up they knew it could be foe as easy as it could be friend.

When the door opened, all three men were shocked to see not only Joshua, but John standing there looking at them as if they'd lost their minds. The absurdity of the situation wasn't lost on any of them and they visibly relaxed when all weapons were lowered.

"Where the hell have you been John?" Bobby demanded, "Do you have any idea what's been going on? Do you even care?"

"Bobby, it's alright, I took care of it." John answered as he walked into the kitchen and poured himself some coffee.

"Took care of what John?" Jim asked, sensing that something more was going on that what they knew.

Joshua closed the door behind him then answered, "The goons who were after Sammy, we took care of it. Now all we have to do is find that Cara chick so she won't try to finish what her friends started."

"Wait… what? John, do you have any idea that hospital doesn't know where the boys are?" Caleb stood there waiting for an answer, but it looked like his question was going to be ignored. Finally he heard his friend speak and he knew it was wondered what the hell was going on.

"The boys are fine; I'll meet up with them in a couple of days. Now before you jump my ass, yes I know that Sammy's still sick, yes I made sure to get medicine for him, and yes I know exactly where they're going and no I'm not expecting a phone call when they get there."

Jim stared in shock and wondered what the hell was going on, because at the moment he hadn't a clue; then again he had been wondering what John had been thinking for a month now. What he heard next made his blood run cold.

"Cara Kline is going after Sammy to get back at me; she thinks I got her brother killed." John said firmly, still not believing that it was actually a time that he hadn't messed up that someone wanted him to pay for it.

Bobby stood there for a moment before the name actually registered in his brain. "Kline, as in Chris Kline? My God John, there was nothing you could do, we all know that. Forget that, I didn't even know he had a sister."

Standing back, Caleb watched and listened. He had met a young hunter by the name of Chris Kline once and only once, and thought the guy was a little too jumpy to be a hunter. If it was the same guy, then he could easily see what got him killed. Looking at the other hunters he wondered if they were getting the same weird vibe that he was. "John, why didn't you tell us what was going on?"

John thought about how to answer, he'd always thought he could trust others like them; other hunters, but he'd learned his lesson the hard way and he wouldn't be so trusting anymore. "Leave it alone Caleb, I'll deal with this myself."

Not understanding what was going on, it took a few minutes for realization to dawn on them, and another moment before Jim could vocalize what they all were thinking. "Oh dear Lord, John; you think one of us tipped her off!"

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Dean had been driving for the last two hours and knew that it would be a good thing to get where they were going if for no other reason than he could take better care of his brother once they were in one place. He had intended to stop every hour, but with Sammy sleeping so well he didn't want to risk jinxing his brother's rest. Luckily though he'd been able to cut some of the travel time down and he was more than a little thankful to find a small old fashioned motor court called the Appleton Inn. Pulling some cash out of the glove box he rushed in, got a room and was back before Sammy had even noticed he was gone.

Pulling in front of room number 27, he quickly got out and unlocked the door checking to make sure that the room was secure before running back out to the car. Knowing that he was about to deal with a very confused Sammy, he started talking to him before he even opened the car door.

"Come on Sammy, we're here… that's right, whoa there little brother, its ok…"

It took a little longer than he expected, but he managed to get both of them inside and settled without dropping either of them on their asses. Finally though, Sammy turned to him with bleary eyes and asked, "Where are we Dean?"

"A little place called Ohio, Illinois, Sammy; Home Sweet Home." Dean joked, but frowned when he noticed that his brother wasn't really following the conversation. "Sammy, you ok there bro?"

Sam wasn't sure where they were, it didn't look like Jim's and it didn't look like any hospital that he'd seen, but he was sure he had to be in one or the other. He watched Dean talk to him but it didn't make any sense, how were they in Ohio and Illinois at the same time? Deciding that it was too much to worry about he instead concentrated on sitting up, knowing that he needed to get to the bathroom by himself; he didn't want to bother his brother with something like that.

"Sammy? Hey dude, let me help you." Dean said while watching his little brother struggle to sit up, it was then that he noticed how warm Sammy seemed to be. What he had attributed to being snug in the back of the Impala was actually a fever taking hold, and he couldn't believe that he screwed up again. "Ok kiddo, let's get you situated, then I'm going to make sure you take your meds."

It took over half an hour, but Dean was able to get Sammy settled back in bed and not only give his prescriptions, but also a fever reducer before his little brother said something that made him feel like he's been kicked in the stomach by a werewolf.

"Dean… please don't leave… I'll be better, I promise…please ask Dad to let me stay."


	10. Chapter 10

AN: I hope you all enjoy this chapter, take care and see you soon!!!

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Dean stood there in shock at his very ill little brother and tried to pull his thoughts together, but it was hard to wrap his head around what he heard. _'Dean… please don't leave… I'll be better, I promise…please ask Dad to let me stay.'_ He couldn't get his brother's voice out of his head, and what he asked kept repeating like some sort of demented loop that was determined to drive him insane. Pushing his own feelings of guilt down, he quickly went to his Sammy and ran his hand through his hair.

"No way bro, we're in this together. From now on, where you go, I go. We'll be like Bonnie and Clyde, with me of course being Clyde 'cause you're such a girl anyways." Dean said smiling. When he saw Sammy just stare at him with glassy eyes he grew more serious. "I promise you Sammy, you're never going to be left behind again. Do you understand me Sammy, never!"

Nodding, Sam understood, but wondered if it was a trick his mind was playing on him. He'd never seen Dean act this way before, and he had to wonder if maybe his wishes had actually manifested into this delusion. Closing his eyes, he prayed for sleep, but knew that it wasn't going to come, he was too hot and every muscle ached. Feeling something cool on his forehead, he smiled and leaned into it; whimpering when it was taken away.

"Sorry Sammy, but we need to get your medicine in you before you get any worse. Somehow I don't think that Dad planned for an emergency room visit so soon after breaking you out of the hospital." Helping Sammy with the pills and water, he soon laid his brother back against the pillows and continued wiping the damp washcloth across his face in an effort to help cool him down.

As the fever reducer started to take effect, Sam started to feel himself drift off with the feel of Dean close by.

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John knew that Jim would have been the first one to figure it out, but he still wasn't prepared for the reaction of the others. When his friends started to vocalize their disbelief he easily ignored them knowing that their initial diatribe would take a few minutes and he was going to use that time for something more constructive, like figuring how to keep a psychopathic hunter away from his boys.

"Damn it John, are you even listening?" Bobby yelled, angry that out of all the years they'd known each other, the idgit still felt that he couldn't trust them.

"No." John said simply. He already knew what they were thinking, and could imagine what they were actually saying. It didn't matter though; he knew that he was right in keeping his boys away, even if his friends didn't understand it.

Jim knew that they weren't getting anywhere and decided to take the initiative. "John, how do you know that the boys are alright? What if Sam gets worse?"

Looking at his long time friend, John smiled, "Dean's with Sammy, Jim; there's nothing to worry about. In fact, if I had listened to Dean instead of making excuses, Sammy wouldn't have been in the hospital."

"You don't know that John, no one picked up on it." Joshua said, trying to alleviate some of the tension.

John didn't bother to answer, instead walked over to the phone and called information to get the number of a motel that Cara was rumored to be staying. After hearing the number, he quickly dialed it and waited to be connected. He couldn't believe that she had survived this long with using her real name. When she answered, John wondered if she had a death wish. "I hear you're looking for me." He said quietly, hoping that she wasn't as stupid as she seemed.

"Actually, I've been looking for your sons John, but they seem to have disappeared; that's ok though, I have it on good authority where they're heading. As it is, I'm going to be leaving very soon John, and when I find them, I'm going to make sure that little Sammy suffers for your mistakes." Cara said as she gathered up her things and walked closer to the door. She wasn't an idiot, she knew that he would head here first and she was going to make sure she had a head start before he could even lay rubber to the road. "Good bye John Winchester, I'll be sure to tell Sammy hi for you."

The sound of the dial tone could be heard from the phone that John dropped as he ran towards the door. He wasn't foolish to think that she'd stay at the motel, but he was certain he could catch up with her if he hurried. As he reached the truck though he realized that the area around the truck had been disturbed. Sensing something was wrong, he stepped back just as the truck exploded.

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Dean knew that Sammy needed his rest, but he was also worried about not getting the treatment he needed if he was asleep all the time. Wondering if he was in over his head, he sat on the other bed and watched as his little brother slept fitfully due to his fever. Thankful that the temperature had started to go down, Dean wasn't ready to do back flips just yet, anything could still go wrong, and he didn't have a backup plan.

Looking around the motel room he started to wonder how long they would be there. It wasn't a bad room, at least it was cleaner than a lot that they had stayed in over the years, but it still wasn't someplace that anyone recovering should be. The room was small with only moderate air conditioning and paper thin walls that allowed them to hear the very intimate goings on in the next room. If it wasn't for the fact that their dad would be able to locate them easier if they stayed, he would have already found a better place that would allow his brother to rest easier. Sighing, he went back to his earlier questions of how long they might be there and what supplies they could need.

Making a mental check list of everything they would need, he suddenly thought of another problem; there was no way he could leave Sammy in the room alone, and no way could his little brother stay out while they got what they needed. Feeling as if he was between a rock and a hard place, he wondered if there was a way to get some of the items delivered to the room without raising too much suspicion. With another look at his brother, he picked up the phone and called the front desk immediately being connected with a matronly clerk who remembered checking him in earlier. After filling her in about a road trip gone bad and a sick sibling, she was more than willing to call the neighborhood store that still had a person who made deliveries for a fee. Giving her the list of items then listening to her carry on about poor little lambs, Dean felt better that one worry was taken care of and he allowed the conversation to carry on just so the lady would feel more appreciated.

After the lengthy conversation, Dean checked Sammy's temperature again and felt a small measure of relief that it hadn't increased again. Checking the time, he saw it was time to wake him again and even though he dreaded the confusion he knew was going to affect his brother, he knew it had to be done; he just wished that he knew what the game plan was 'cause this one didn't set too well with him at the moment.

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John lay on the ground with the smell of burning fuel and rubber in his nostrils. He heard his name through the ringing in his ears, but he felt as if his body was being held down by lead weights. Groaning, he took a quick inventory and calculated that the worst injury was the back of his head that decided to get to know the asphalt of Jim's driveway; the rest was minor things that would feel better the quicker he moved around.

"Damn it John, answer me… are you ok?" Caleb yelled. He, like the others, had been at the doorway when the truck blew up, but the all saw John as he was picked up and tossed into the air. It was a good thing that the charge hadn't been larger, and that John hadn't been closer, otherwise none of them would have liked what they would have had to do next.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm ok, just help me up." John grunted already trying to sit up even as the world spun around him. Looking at the mess, then his friends, he said, "I guess I'm not going to be able to catch up to her after all."

Jim shook his head and wondered if the man had lost his mind completely, but decided to keep that question to himself. Finally, after making sure that his friend was alright, he asked, "John, do you really think that she knows were the boys are?"

The others froze at Jim's question. They had been wondering about it themselves, it wasn't as if the conversation had actually been a quiet one, so they had heard everything and none of them liked it.

"I don't know Jim, but I do know that they need to get out of there just in case." John said firmly as he made his way back into the rectory. "Jim, I need to use your phone again."

It took a few minutes to get in touch with the motel his boys were staying in, and another few minutes for another call to get connected that involved a very nosy clerk who sounded as if she was someone's great grandmother. Finally he heard Dean's voice on the other end and he almost fell over in relief.

"Dean, son… are you ok? Is Sammy alright?" he asked, knowing that they were running out of time.

"Dad? What the… what… yeah, I'm ok, Sammy's got a fever and is sleeping a lot though. Dad, what's…"

"Dean, I need you to listen. You need to leave now... pack up your brother and go. Don't stop for anyone, do you understand?"

There was a small pause before Dean answered, "Yeah Dad, I understand, but I don't think you do. Sammy's sick and I don't think that moving him around is going to do him much good."

"I know son, but you need to understand something. That woman, Cara Kline, she's after your brother and she won't care if he's ill, she's going to try to track you down and get to him."

Dean cursed on the phone but John heard the rustling of items being tossed into bags. "Ok Dad, you convinced me, but you better have a plan than doesn't entail us driving around all over the place."

John smirked a moment and knew he was doing the right thing. "Yeah son, I have a plan; one that you might actually like. I want you to take Sammy and head west. Do you know where I'll meet you?" he asked, hoping that his son hadn't forgotten about…

"Yeah Dad, I get it. Look, how long do we give you?"

"A week son, if I'm not there in a week, then I won't be there at all. Tell Sammy I'm sorry, ok?"

"Nope, you get to do that yourself."

John stood there in shock when he suddenly heard the dial tone, but recovered enough to understand that Dean will make sure that Sammy's out of harms way above all else. Turning back to the other hunters he nodded, "They'll be safe now."

Bobby looked around before he asked, "So, now what do we do?"

"Now we do exactly what Cara wants us to; we lead her to them." John said quietly as he poured himself another cup of coffee and sat at the table.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Hey everyone... sorry it took longer than usual to update, I had to wrestle this one into submission. Let me know if it's behaving now. ;)

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Dean was in the process of waking his brother when there was a knock on the door making him wonder if that Cara chick had someone following them the whole time. Pulling his gun out of his bag, he quietly went to the door and looked out the window to see a teenager holding a box full of items that he ordered. Not taking a chance, he pulled out enough money to cover the bill and tip then cautiously pulled open the door.

"Uh hi, Mrs. Chesterfield ordered these to be delivered right away." The kid said not even bothering to look at Dean. "Sorry it took so long, we got busy with double coupon day."

Looking the kid over, Dean had to wonder if the tone he heard was relief or something else that he had to make a delivery in the middle of the day. Taking the box with one hand while at the same time handing the kid the money, Dean just smiled and thanked him before closing the door again.

"Dean, is that Dad?" Sam asked quietly, not bothering to open his eyes.

Sighing, Dean knew that this was going to be a long trip. Knowing that how he answered would determine how his brother reacted, he stayed upbeat and answered, "Nope kiddo, we got a delivery and just in time too. How about I help you in the bathroom and while you're taking care of business I'll load the car."

Sam looked at Dean and wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but knew that if Dean was loading the car then there was a good reason. Nodding his agreement, he allowed his big brother to help him in the bathroom, not even minding having to sit instead of stand to pee.

"Alright, I'll be right back, don't try to get up until I get back." Dean ordered then watched until Sammy nodded. Taking the bags in one hand and the box of supplies in his arm he raced to the Impala and settled the bags in the trunk, pulled out a small ice chest, and put both it and the box in the back seat. Running back inside he helped Sammy get cleaned up and ready to go.

It took them a few extra minutes to get settled, but by the time Dean was done Sammy was lying in the front seat with cooling packs tucked around him and the ice chest was full of ice with bottled water packed inside. Settling into the driver's seat, Dean pulled out of the parking lot with one hand on the steering wheel and the other stroking his brother's hair. "Don't worry Sammy; I'll make sure no one hurts you."

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John knew by the shocked quiet what the others thought, and he was actually glad of that. If his own friends would think that he'd sell his boys out, then they might have a chance in pulling this off. Taking another gulp of coffee he looked at Bobby, "I need to borrow your truck."

Shocked didn't begin to cover what Bobby was feeling, especially after John told him he needed his truck. "Like hell… look John there's no way that we're going to…"

"Bobby, trust me, it'll make sense once we're there. Just pack up and let's go."

Something in John's voice made the others wonder what was going on. As they looked at each other, John was already to the door and was shocked by his voice.

"The longer we stay here, the longer it takes to find her, and the closer she gets to the boys." He said losing his patience while he watched his supposed friends have a silent conversation amongst themselves.

Nodding, Joshua looked back at his friend, "Alright, we're all going so we'll take my truck and you can explain the plan while we go."

Thinking about that for a moment, John finally nodded in agreement. If this went wrong, he'd need all the help he could get. Holding out his hand, he waited to feel the keys in his hand before he turned around and rushed towards his friend's truck. It didn't take long for Bobby and Caleb to join them after Jim decided to stay behind in case he was needed on the outside.

As they rushed out of town John wasn't sure now how to explain everything so he decided to fill them in on what was going on at the moment. "I left a note for Dean to go to Ohio, Illinois. I'm hoping that Cara will think that we're rushing to help the boys, ultimately leading her to them."

With part of the plan revealed, they felt a little better but had to wonder about the boys now. "Ok, so they're obviously not there now." Caleb stated simply, hoping John would fill them in on the rest. When the cab of the truck remained quiet Caleb had enough. "Look John we get that you're upset, but you need to let us know exactly what's going on otherwise we can't help."

It took him a few moments, but John finally agreed. "You already know about the hunt that went bad with her brother and that she'd determined to make me pay for it. The problem is she's found a couple hunters who don't care who they hurt as long as they get paid enough. Now with Sammy down the boys are sitting ducks unless they're on the move and we make sure they get the time to get somewhere safe."

Sensing that the conversation was over, the others settled in for the drive all the while hoping that Dean would be able to take care of his little brother.

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They had been driving none stop for almost two hours and Dean knew that they needed to find someplace soon. Not only did they need to fill up the gas tank, but Sammy would need more medicine and a change of cooling packs which left another dilemma; how to get food down his little brother when it was obvious all the kid wanted to do was sleep.

It didn't take too long for a small gas station to appear that thankfully had a full service lane, not that he liked the idea of anyone touching the Impala, he'd make the exception since he didn't want to leave the car at the moment. While the attendant took care of the gas and checked the rest of the car, Dean took the opportunity to reach in the back and pull out a couple of waters along with the medicine he knew his little brother desperately needed.

"Sammy… come on sleepy head, time to wake up." He coaxed softly, feeling his brother's forehead for fever. 'At least it's come down some, maybe now he can stay awake longer than two minutes.'

Sam sat up slowly, not understanding where they were or even how they got there. Looking over he saw Dean smiling at him. "Hey Dean… where are we?" he asked quietly. He still felt awful but knew that if his brother hadn't taken him to the hospital yet then he couldn't be that bad off.

Shrugging, Dean answered with a casual, "Have no idea, but we'll stop soon for something to eat, alright? Here, take these and drink all of the water."

The attendant came to the window and smiled, "Looks like you boys are on a road trip, how's it going so far?"

"Oh you know how it goes, one minute you're enjoying yourself, the next its time to get home." Dean said while watching his little brother take his medicine and finish his water. Handing the other water to Sammy he smiled when he saw his brother start to drink it too. "So, how much do we owe you?"

Settling their bill and getting information on the closest decent diner, the boys drove into town not even bothering to notice the sign declaring the name. It didn't matter to Dean where they were now, it only mattered where they were going, and he had a feeling he could get them there blindfolded. He was more than a little surprised that his Dad told him to head there, but then again he could understand why; it was the one place that the three of them knew about that they were certain none of the other hunters did.

Pulling into the diner parking lot, Dean found a spot as close to the door as he could. Seeing Sammy sleeping, he unlocked the trunk and pulled a small knapsack out of the corner and filled it with a change of clothes and the first aid kit before going around to the passenger side and gently opening the door.

"Sammy, hey kiddo, come on we need to eat remember?" he asked as he waited for his brother to open his eyes again. Seeing Sammy awake, he smiled and helped him out of the car. "Alrighty, we're going to hit the bathroom first, get you cleaned up and changed before we even think about eating." As he looked at Sammy he worried that the fever was creeping back up, but he knew that they needed a decent meal in them both otherwise they both could get sick; or sicker in Sammy's case.

It took fifteen minutes to get a practically unresponsive little brother through the routine that Dean had come up with; relieve the bladder, sponge bath, check incision, change clothes, brush teeth. By the time he helped Sammy into a booth, Dean noticed several people looking at them anxiously as if wondering if they should call the cops. Turning his attention to Sammy he asked, "So little brother, feeling any better?"

Although Sam nodded his head, it was mainly to make his brother feel better about the whole situation. Looking up he saw he wasn't fooling Dean and finally answered, "Yeah Dean, I'm starting to feel a little better."

Not convinced, but not wanting to upset Sammy further he let it slide while the waitress took their order with extra attention being placed upon his little brother. It had always amazed him how Sammy was a magnet for the maternal types. Watching the lady leave the table his swung his attention back to his brother and eyed him critically, his guilt coming back full force. The swelling around Sammy's face had already diminished which made Dean wonder just how much body his brother would actually have left after all the excess fluid was gone. Vowing to make sure they stopped for regular meals, Dean started to make plans in case things started to take a turn for the worst, all the while hoping that it wouldn't.

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They pulled into the motel five hours later and John was not in the mood to be pleasant, no matter who it was behind the desk. Seeing an older woman sitting there made him wonder if the world was full of elderly clerks in run down motels, or if it was just his luck that he kept running into them. It took a few minutes to convince the woman that he was indeed Dean and Sammy's father and that he wanted to surprise them since they weren't supposed to meet up for another day. Taking the key, he spared a moment to thank her and rushed over to the room and let the rest of the guys in.

The first thing that they noticed when they walked into the room was it looked like the boys had had a rough time of it even for the short amount of time they were in it. The bed furthest from the door had its sheets and blankets balled up at the end while the pillow looked as if someone had used it for wrestling practice, while the other bed had its blankets still intact if only a little rumpled. There was a smell though that lingered that told the hunters more than they wanted to know; Sammy was sick and although it could be worse, it still wasn't good.

John knew that he could have very well sent his youngest headlong to his death, but he tried to remind himself that Dean would make sure it didn't get that far. All three Winchester's had an aversion to hospital's, Sammy especially ever since being admitted tonsillitis and then being told he couldn't leave until an infection that had settled in was taken care of. John could still remember the absolute terror in his little boy's face when the doctor had told them that Sammy was sicker than when they took him in the first place, in his six year old mind that only meant that the longer he stayed the worse he'd get. Now, years later, Sammy would rather suffer through the pain than be dragged into an ER, not that he'd have a choice if Dean decided it was best.

"Alright John, how about me and Joshua go and pick up a few things then we can figure out how we're going to lure her here." Bobby said as he tried hard not to think about how bad off the youngest Winchester had to be by now.

Shaking his head John gave a slight smile. "We don't have to; she followed us all the way here. I have to hand it to her, she almost had me fooled, but I picked up on her about halfway here."

Caleb smirked and understood that even though the others thought John was paranoid, he had to agree with his friend. "White Lincoln Continental, Blue Ford Escort, an F150, and a small foreign thing, right?" he asked, sure that he had caught glimpses of the same dark hair occasionally.

"Umm hmm, but you missed her latest one, it's parked on the other side of the street." John said, feeling some sense of satisfaction that he had picked up on something the others hadn't.

"Damnit, I'm getting too old for this if I can't even pick up on a pink Cadillac being used in a stakeout!" Bobby groused, thoroughly ticked off at himself for being so lax.

"Alright, here's what we'll do. Bobby and I'll go to the diner over there and pick up some food, we'll make sure to get things that a sick kid would need. While we're waiting we'll just have a nice casual conversation. By the time we're done, she'll know the boys are still here and the car is hidden somewhere. How's that work for everyone?" Joshua asked while looking around the room. Seeing the silent agreement, he and Bobby rushed out the door as if they were on a mission, leaving the other two to sit and try to work out what to do when they actually caught Cara moving in for the kill.

John sat on the bed and prayed that this worked, for both his boys' sakes, it had to work.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: hey everyone... hope you like this one... don't forget to let me know!

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John was pacing across the room effectively driving Caleb up the wall. Not that the other man could blame him, but it was still annoying after the few minutes of watching him go from one end of the room to the other muttering to himself. Feeling frustrated himself, he walked over and started a pot of coffee, wondering if the boys had eaten anything at all before they had to leave in a rush. Any other pondering of the subject came to a sudden stop when there was a knock on the door indicating Bobby and Joshua were back.

Holding a couple of bags of food, the hunters walked in looking perturbed to say the least. It wasn't until Caleb asked what their problem was that they got a glimpse into the mindset they were dealing with.

"Everything was going according to plan. We were having our conversation, drinking our coffee while we waited, then right before the waitress shows up with our food, the witch has the audacity to walk up to place an order for her 'nephews' seeing as one of them had just gotten out of the hospital after having renal failure." Bobby said disgusted with the whole situation. "That wasn't the shocker, she had the audacity to look at us and say 'you never know what complications can occur after something like that, but I'm determined to make sure I take care of my little Sammy the best way I know how.' Now if that didn't just raise our hackles."

Both John and Caleb stared at Bobby as if he had told the most indecent joke, then they realized he wasn't kidding; this Cara person was crazier than what they initially thought.

"You just let her walk away?" John asked in a low voice, leaving no doubt about what he thought about that idea.

"No John, we didn't let her walk away. She told the lady she be back, headed towards the ladies room, then went out a window in the men's room… and before you ask, I know this because I went to check and saw her shadow on the outside of the window. This woman has no sense of boundaries whatsoever, John." Joshua said, not sure if he should feel shocked by the events, or admiration towards the woman for her creativeness.

Nodding, John pulled out a Styrofoam container and started in on his burger, not tasting any of it while he was at it. He couldn't help but wonder how far the boys were and if Sammy was ok, or if he was getting worse like they were suspecting. Knowing that the only way he was going to be able to them was to keep Cara off their back, he set his mind against thinking about how much he missed them and concentrated on the task at hand.

Taking their lead off John, the others ate while they had the chance; none of them knew if Cara was alone or had her friends stashed by someplace close. The more they thought about it, the more they hoped that it wasn't Cara who was leading them away from Dean and Sammy.

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Sam had no idea where they were, and didn't really care. He was in that in between place of feeling comfort in the only home he'd never known, the Impala and Dean, and the miserable feeling that even his comfort was slowly being ripped away from him just by how miserable he was in not being able to stretch out and sleep in a nice quiet place. Then again, the rumbling of the Impala's engine had always been a lullaby to him, which added to his frustration and wretched existence. Trying to stretch out a bit more, he groaned when he moved a little bit too much and pulled on his incision. He hadn't realized that he had made a sound until Dean pulled over and turned the car off.

"Alright little brother, time to check on you and get you more comfortable." Dean said as he checked Sammy's fever. Seeing that it was slowly going down, the decided that the only way his brother was going to get any rest was if he was in the back seat, he quickly made what could only be compared to as a nest with the newest sleeping bag, every pillow they had a large blanket and Dean's leather jacket. After checking under the bandages and giving Sammy his medicine along with another bottled water, he helped his little brother get settled and cocooned in the back seat. He knew he did a good thing when he saw Sammy fell asleep seconds after his head hit the pillows. "Sleep tight little brother, I'll wake you up when it's time to eat."

Pulling the car back onto the road, he turned the radio up just enough for both he and Sammy to hear, settling on a station that he knew they both would agree on. Knowing that it would probably take them another day to get to where they were going, he was trying to decide whether to drive all the way through, or try to stop for the night at some motel. Looking in the rear view mirror, he realized that he wouldn't be sleeping either way, and as long as Sammy stayed comfortable, they could probably get there without incident.

Driving without someone next to him was strange. Even when he'd just been a passenger there had always been either his dad or Sammy next to him. Now though, he was left with his thoughts and they kept coming full circle to how they got to this point in their lives. He knew that it had been their dad's decision to leave Sammy at Pastor Jim's, but it had been his to follow along with it convinced that everything was fine. He had to admit, his confidence in his father had been shaken; but now, after seeing what he'd do to make sure Sammy was safe, he felt that maybe that faith was starting to get rebuilt and he was sure that once their dad got this crazy woman off their asses and Sammy back on his feet, then that faith would be greatly restored. Now if only he had enough confidence in himself to keep his little brother alive long enough to get to their destination, then he'd feel a lot better about the whole situation.

Seeing that they had made it into South Dakota, Dean felt thankful that Bobby wasn't at home, otherwise he'd be tempted to stop in. As it was, he was more content to let the Impala take them safely down the road and help him protect his most precious of burdens; his baby brother.

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Cara knew that she had pushed the right buttons when she had peeked back in and saw the big hunter leaving the men's room in a rush. She had no doubt that he went straight to John to fill him in on her baiting. She wasn't as foolish as what they thought she was, she knew they were up to something; she also knew that according to the motel manager, Dean never checked out but had been seen leaving in a hurry with Sammy in the car right next to him.

Not one to take chances, as well as take the word of one source, she asked around about the whereabouts of a classic black Impala, and got the same answer; no one had seen it since earlier that day. So she either believed that they left town and John was foolish enough to think that he could lead her away from her revenge, or Winchester's brats were holed up someplace close; possibly in the motel room, although she doubted it.

Taking a few neighborhood streets, she doubled back to her motel and parked in the back even though her room faced the parking lot. She wasn't going to allow them the opportunity to sneak up on her while she was still watching them. It didn't take long to get inside her room and set up her supplies, after all she was used to traveling light since her brother always insisted that the only things they needed could be put in or on a hiking pack so they could take off on foot if necessary. Shaking her head, she wondered just how long it was going to take her to deprogram herself from his idiocy. She remembered more than once he would insist they camp outside of town so they wouldn't have to spend money on a room while they had more than enough cash to keep them flush for a month. It was one of those things that made her relieved that he was gone, and then equally guilty that she had entertained the thought in the first place.

Smiling, she pulled out her one luxury, a photo of her and Chris taken at a fair someplace that she couldn't even remember. They had been all over the country twice that summer, and every town had started to look like the other until they pulled into a small little town that had the main street blocked off for the rides, concessions, and booths. It had taken all of fifteen seconds to convince Chris that they could take a few hours to make sure the townspeople weren't possessed, and it had proven to be a wonderful experience. Now though, there would be no more fairs, no more shared experiences, now it was just her; the last of her family, and she was determined to make sure John Winchester knew just how much he hurt her. She'd make sure he remembered every day of his life just how much it hurt to lose someone close while standing by but not able to do anything about it; she'd make him suffer like she was.

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Dean hated having to wake his little brother, he was finally sleeping soundly and actually looked like he was resting, but it had to be done. Opening the back passenger door, he crawled in the backseat and ran his hand through his brother's hair all the while talking to him, slowly bringing him around. Seeing Sammy waking up, he smiled before stating the obvious. "We've stopped."

Looking around Sam wasn't sure why they were in the middle of a truck stop, but decided the probably wouldn't like the answer any way. Shifting his gaze back to his brother he asked, "What's wrong Dean, did I get sick again?"

"No kiddo, you did fine don't worry. We need to get you some food, medicine, and I think that you would feel better in some pj's, don't you?" Dean asked, trying not to show his concern by how much Sammy had actually sweat while he was asleep. He remembered that sweating was supposed to show that a fever was breaking, and he hoped that was right because he didn't want to have to take Sammy back to another doctor so soon.

Dazed, it took Sam a few minutes to understand what Dean was talking about and that it was starting to get dark. Looking back at his brother he was trying to form an intelligent question, but all that came out was, "Huh?"

Dean laughed a little before ruffling Sammy's hair. "Alright, change of plans. This time we eat first, then you take a shower and change while I take care of the incision and your medicines, ok?"

Still not understanding what was going on, but trusting Dean to take care of him, he allowed his big brother to help him into the diner and settled into the booth by the window. While Dean ordered for the both of them, Sam continued to watch the trucks and cars drive past or pull in, leaving him to wonder which it was they did. Feeling more than a little detached from himself, he became aware of his brother's hand on his arm bringing him back to the real world. Settling his attention on the soup in front of him, he didn't notice the concerned look his brother gave him.

Watching his little brother act like a space cadet was something that Dean was thankful he would never have to get used to. He knew it was the medicine, but there was no way he was going to take Sammy off any of them. The antibiotic was heavy duty and given often, the pain meds were enough to make Dean himself feel pretty good even after tangling with a goblin or two, then there was the diuretic that was helping Sammy pull the excess fluid out of his body; separately they could do a number on a person in the dosages his brother was given, but together if Dean was honest he was surprised Sammy hadn't fallen in his soup yet.

After paying for their meal and asking about getting a bag of ice from the cooler, Dean led Sammy towards the bathroom where the sign pointed to showers, hoping that they could get in and out without wearing the younger Winchester out too much. It didn't take as long as Dean feared to get Sammy showered and changed, but he was more than a little thankful that he was close by when his brother fell asleep while having his dressing changed. Sighing, Dean propped Sammy up while he finished getting everything ready. Seeing the skeptical looks from some very serious truck drivers, he took a moment to smile and explain that his brother had been very ill but they were heading home. Seeing acceptance, Dean felt relieved that no one was going to challenge him over it, and he continued getting everything ready.

"Ok Sammy, I need you to take your medicine for me, then we can go." He said, and after repeating it a few times, he was rewarded with Sammy's tired eyes looking back at him.

"Tired Dean…" Sam whispered, but allowed Dean to give him his medicine and water before he promptly fell asleep.

Standing there propping his little brother up while in a bathroom at a truck stop was not anywhere close to the top one hundred things he wanted to do in his lifetime, but Dean also knew that being so close to death and slowly making a comeback wasn't on Sammy's list either. He hadn't realized they had been in the same position as long as they had until a deep voice spoke up from the side of them.

"Hey kid, you pick him up and I'll get the door, no one will think anything about it."

Dean looked at the heavy set man who had obviously seen too many days behind the wheel and too many nights in the buffet line to be healthy and realized that the man was genuinely trying to help. Nodding, he gathered Sammy up in his arms, then grabbed their bag on the way out. The man introduced himself as Gil and pointed out towards his rig with pride, "That's my baby over there. You ever need anything, you let me know, my handle's The Galloping Ghost, and I always have my ears on." Gil said, then lumbered off across the parking lot leaving a very confused Dean standing there wondering what he was supposed to think about _that_.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Hey everyone, sorry for the delay... family drama mixed with tax time and my mind is scattered to the four winds. Hope you enjoy this anyway... let me know!!!

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Although Dean was happy to get back on the road, he couldn't get rid of the feeling that they weren't alone and that in itself was driving him up the wall. His dad had taught him to look for tails, and even though he'd been trying to keep an eye out for one, he also knew that his attention was divided in getting them to their destination and keeping an eye on Sammy. He would never admit it aloud, but he was worried. Sammy hadn't stirred even a little while he was trying to get him settled in the backseat, but what really concerned Dean was the fact that his little brother still hadn't moved since they left the truck stop.

"I hope you're doing ok back there Sammy, 'cause I have no idea what I'm going to do if you're not." Dean said quietly while watching for any sign of movement from his brother. When he saw only the normal rise and fall of Sammy's chest, he knew that for now he'd take that as a blessing and leave the rest for later.

As he watched the sun rise in his rear view mirror and saw a glimpse of what he'd been trying to verify all night; they had a tail, and they didn't have a place at the moment to get rid of them.

'Great, just when I thought things couldn't get more complicated.' He thought as he wondered how they were going to get out of this, and what the hell his dad was up to while he was figuring it out.

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John wasn't much of a praying man, but he was to a point that he knew they were going to need some sort of assistance in order to keep Cara off the boys trail. 'Please, keep them safe.' He prayed, feeling completely helpless at the moment.

"Alright, we're pretty sure we found out where she'd holed up. John, did you want to do the honors, or should we try to lead her here?" Caleb asked, truly concerned about his friend; this was the first time that he'd ever seen John look lost.

It took him a moment to register what the other man said and another moment for him to formulate an idea of what needed to be done. Shaking his head he stood and looked at the other men in the room.

"Neither. She'll know something's up if I'm in here the whole time. We'll go around like business as usual." Seeing their puzzled looks he explained, "Dean never leaves Sammy alone, it's a well known fact, where I'm not one to sit around for any length of time. She'll expect me to roam around town or even try and dig up a job close by. We just need to act as we normally would in these circumstances, then we'll be able to tell what she's really up to."

The quiet in the room was oppressive; they couldn't deny the facts of what John said, that was what was so upsetting about it. Each one of them at one time or another had questioned his parenting skills, and had even come to blows a couple of times with the hard headed man; that didn't make it any easier to hear the same opinion come out of that very same mouth though.

Nodding, Bobby agreed and headed out the door with a quiet. "Alright John, you want real you got it. God knows we've been through it enough times." As he reached the door he looked back to see if the others had caught on, when he saw they had he prepared himself for what he hoped would be an award winning show.

Birds that had been happily pecking on the parking lot for insects scattered when the noise was first heard, but took flight when the motel door flung open abruptly and Bobby stormed out. "Fine, have it your way you stupid jackass! Don't come crying to me when we're burying that boy because of your screwed up priorities!"

"Don't tell me how to take care of my boys Singer, last time I checked you didn't have children!" John bellowed as he followed suite and went after Bobby, leaving both Caleb and Joshua to watch from the sidelines. Finally, it was Caleb's turn and he walked out tense, but tried to keep the door from slamming.

"Damn it you two, if you're going to do this here and now, may I suggest you do it elsewhere? Sammy's still sick and the more aggravation he goes through the longer it's going to take him to get better, or doesn't that count for anything?" Caleb yelled at both men in the parking lot before stomping off towards the diner.

"Where the hell are you going?" John demanded, trying to ignore the audience they had in the shadows.

Caleb didn't bother to turn around while he tossed over his shoulder, "Gee I don't know Johnny boy… sick kid, orange juice… sound like a good combination to you?"

John stormed off the other direction, barely looking at Bobby when he growled out, "Tell Dean to watch his brother, I need to check on the Impala."

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The further down the road they traveled, the more certain Dean was that they were being followed. The car behind them paced them the whole way, and it was really starting to get on his nerves. Unfortunately, that was about the time he noticed the Impala desperately needed gas and Sammy was starting to stir. 'Great timing little brother.' He thought as he saw the first twitches, then actually movement coming from the backseat.

"De…" Sam rasped out, barely able to speak his mouth was so dry.

"Hey buddy, don't worry we're about to stop ok? Just hang on a few minutes; I saw a sign for gas and food a couple miles away."

The answering mumble wasn't totally lost on Dean and he knew that even though the medicines were wearing off, it was past time for Sammy's next dose which would more than likely keep him in la la land until they got to the settled into their next hideaway. Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, he pulled into the road side café. Seeing that there were plenty of people around, he figured that whoever was following wouldn't be able to pull anything while they were there. Their real problem was going to be once they got back on the road again and traffic thinned out.

"Come on Sammy; let's get you inside and taken care of. How about some toast and juice this morning?" Dean asked as he pulled the backpack, filled with supplies to take care of his brother, off the front seat and rushed around to help Sammy out of the car.

Their routine was becoming so second nature that Dean noticed their time in the bathroom had decreased by half and Sammy was actually starting to control his movements better. By the time they made it to a booth, both boys were more than ready for something to drink, and Sammy had even asked for a pancake instead of toast.

Dean kept an eye out on the car that had been occupying his thoughts that morning, but he didn't see it. He wasn't foolish enough to think they had given up, he knew better, but he was wondering what their real objective was. If these were the ones who wanted to kill his brother they had plenty of opportunities to run them off the road. No, whoever it was had another objective, and he hoped he could figure it out before he led his little brother right into the lion's den.

"Dean, where are we going?" Sam asked, more alert than he had been in quite awhile.

Smiling, Dean's only answer was, "West." He watched as Sam thought that over for a moment and then looked at him in surprise.

"Really?" he asked in awe. "Really Dean?"

Nodding, Dean enjoyed the happiness he saw in his brother's eyes. With that settled, he now definitely couldn't wait to reach their destination. Anything to keep that look on Sammy's face.

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Cara knew when she was being conned, and when her brother's friend Matt told her about the argument just outside the motel room, she knew that was what was going on. However, she still wasn't sure what that meant for Dean and Sammy. The last that she had heard from Matt's brother Alex, they were still on the road stopping only to eat and fill up that monstrosity of a car.

Shaking her head she wondered if Winchester really thought he was fooling her. Then again she had to admire him for his effort, from what she'd seen and heard he was a real hard ass who gave up the whole touchy feely crap a long time ago; which made him going this far to try to throw her off quite an insight.

"Yes John, you just confirmed what I already suspected, I take out your youngest son, you're weakest link, and you'll self destruct in front of everyone. That might allow you some more time on this planet, but I'll still make sure you rot in hell." She said vehemently to the room around her. "I'll let you suffer from a broken heart knowing that you couldn't do anything to save your precious little boy, then I'll rip it out with my bare hands and watch the light fade from your eyes; just like Chris' when he faded away."

Determined to make sure the other hunters were kept busy watching her, she made plans to snoop around the motel they were staying in. It might just be for show, but she needed to keep busy until Alex called and gave her the boy's location. Pulling out her hidden wallet, she made sure she had her one and only legitimate credit card; when she made the airline reservation, she would enjoy the feel of that ticket that would symbolize the downfall of John Winchester, and it would be in her name.

Replacing the items in her bag, she slipped out of her room and headed towards the motel across the small town. Today she would see for herself what made the Winchester's tick.

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John had known instantly when he was being followed and it didn't take long for him to figure out that it was one of Chris Kline's friends, he recognized him from the hunt that took the younger hunter's life. Actually, if the truth had been told then Cara wouldn't be holding him responsible, as it was though it wasn't a surprise to see what had come out of the whole mess.

After doubling back towards the motel he ducked to the side of a storefront and waited until Matt started to walk by. Reaching out and flinging the man into the alleyway John towered over him. "Matt, how's things?"

Looking up at John, Matt smirked, "Like you don't know John. She'll find them you know, and she doesn't give a damn that your boy is on death's door."

Nodding, John silently agreed, he already knew Cara's agenda. "So, how much information did you and your brother actually leave out, or should I even ask? Somehow I doubt you told her about how he'd been infected and had begged for someone to put him out of his misery. Just how long are you going to let her think it was my bullet that did it? You know what… it doesn't matter; she's not getting either of my boys."

Matt slowly got up from the ground and looked at the older hunter with a smile. "You know, she's already onto to you and your friends John, she's smarter than what you give her credit for."

A cold chill ran down John's spine at the thought that the female hunter was already a step ahead of him. Before he had a chance to ask anymore questions he was interrupted.

"I don't know where you sent Dean, but I do know that Cara got word that they're still on the road and little Sammy doesn't look so good. So, how about we cut the crap John, you're here and you're boys are somewhere by themselves. What makes you think that you'll ever see them again, especially if she gets tired of the chase and just decides to have Alex take care of them?" Matt sneered, knowing that he was starting to dance on a fine line, but wanted to reel him in. 'Plan B might be the better way to go.' He thought.

Ok, so now things were getting weird, but he wasn't sure exactly what to do about it; at least not at the moment. He needed to get back to the other guys and hope that they could figure out exactly when the table turned on them and how they could get the upper hand again. Turning back to Matt, John hit him with an uppercut and watched the other hunter hit the ground… hard.


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Hope you all like this chapter... don't forget to let me know!!!

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Dean watched as Sammy ate half his pancake and all of his juice, all in the same amount of time it took him to eat a plateful of food and a half pot of coffee. Looking over he saw his little brother looking out the window in awe and almost fell over when he heard his brother's next words.

"It's beautiful out there don't you think Dean?" Sam asked, feeling as if he'd never really seen any of it before. Turning his attention to his big brother he saw raw concern on Dean's face and that made him worry as well. "What? What's wrong Dean?"

"You feeling ok Sammy? I mean, you know… should I take you to a doctor, make sure everything's alright?" Dean asked, nervous at how what his brother had just said, sounded more like a farewell speech than casual comment.

"No, I think I'm feeling better actually. Sorry to be such a pain." Sam said, suddenly not feeling so lighthearted, in fact now he just wanted to lie down and not think of anything.

Seeing the sudden change in his brother Dean had to wonder what brought it on. He'd known that the kid was still sick, but something told him that wasn't the sole reason for the mood swing. "Hey, you're not a pain. God Sammy, you almost died! If anyone's sorry, it's me… I left you at Pastor Jim's thinking that everything was ok, but somehow knowing it wasn't." he said, trying to convey to the youngest Winchester his own thoughts about the matter. "Hey, look at me. Sammy… please, look at me." When he saw his brother's face he knew that he stumbled on the problem. "Sammy, I know there's something going on in that freaky head of yours, but I need you to tell me what it is otherwise I can't fix it."

Sam shook his head; he didn't want to ponder the thought that kept ricocheting around in his head. The one thought that kept popping up no matter how hard he tried to push it down. _How much time do I have before I go back to Pastor Jim's?_ He just wanted to sit back and relax for minute, if he closed his eyes he could almost pretend that it was just him and his big brother out on the road just because, and not because somehow he messed up again just by being a freak of nature.

Sighing, Dean knew that Sammy was having trouble dealing with whatever it was stuck in his head, but he had no idea how to pry it out of him without causing more of a fuss than he thought his brother could deal with at the moment. Tapping his finger on the table, he made a decision to figure it all out before they got to the cabin, maybe then Sammy could really rest and get better. "Come on Sammy boy; let's get you back in the car so we can get going. I want to get there before sunset."

Nodding, Sam got up off the bench set and with help from Dean managed to get to the car before he paused. "Uh, Dean… I was wondering if maybe…can I sit up front with you?" he asked, not sure what the reaction was going to be and actually feared the answer.

"Dude, about time! Get your butt in there man, I missed having my geeky little brother next to me." Dean practically shouted as he helped Sammy into the front seat. Smiling, he was more than a little happy by his brother's request, it meant that Sammy was starting to feel better, that he was truly fighting back this illness that had already taken so much away from him. As he shut the door and started to jog around the car he couldn't remember being so happy since before leaving his brother at Pastor Jim's. Pausing, he pondered that for a moment, then felt like something had hit him upside the head. "Ah damnit Sammy."

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Joshua had stayed behind after the 'fight' and continued to watch the parking lot and office areas. Although he hadn't actually seen anything yet, he wasn't going to discount the possibility that Cara was slightly unhinged enough to snoop around. After awhile, he heard Bobby and Caleb talking outside and finally the door opened to let the hunters quietly in.

"Seen her yet?" Caleb asked, but knowing the answer just by the other hunter's stance. "Yeah, didn't think so."

Bobby sat at the small table and tried to piece together everything they knew about Cara and her brother. Chris was a young hunter, but very quick to learn and didn't have a problem helping out if someone else was in trouble. No one really knew how the kid got into the business, and most people who only casually knew him didn't know he had a sister; it was only those that he trusted enough to hunt with who knew about her. Now that he thought about it, Bobby couldn't think of anyone who had really known either of them, but they somehow had integrated themselves into John's life. Knowing John for years he knew when the man was lying through his teeth and when he was just playing his cards close to his chest; and something about the Kline siblings had sent the eldest Winchester to hold those cards very close indeed; so now the question was, how did Cara know about Dean and Sammy?

"So whatcha thinking about old man?" Caleb asked. He'd been watching Bobby gnaw over something for the past twenty minutes, and he was getting bored; now he wanted answers. "Any idea what this Cara chick's real objective is? I mean come on, if she really wanted revenge on John for a bad hunt, then wouldn't there be more efficient ways of doing it?"

Nodding, the other hunters agreed that going to this level of complexity was a little out of the norm, but then again who better to nab a hunter than one of their own. Joshua was just about to answer when something caught his attention.

"Well I'll be damned, she's here." He said, not truly believing what he was seeing. He was joined at the window and they all could see the woman in question walking straight into the office as if she hadn't a care in the world. That didn't bother them too much, at least they knew where she was now, it was the sight of John walking around the corner and seeing her that had them all on edge and rushing towards the door in hopes of catching him before he blew the woman away before they got some answers.

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Cara knew exactly when Matt had betrayed her and it didn't set well with her. Never the less she chose to continue with the plan as she had laid it out and that meant snooping around the town. She missed her brother, one of the reasons was he was the one who dealt with the hunters, saying it wasn't safe for her to be around them too much; he was right of course, but now she was the one who was having to step in her brother's shoes.

As she walked along the sidewalk she felt at ease, she didn't know these people therefore she wasn't bombarded with their lives being played in her head like a manic film in fast forward. Her 'curse' was the reason why they moved around so much, she'd start to get to know a few people and the flashes of thoughts would start to come, driving her slowly insane. If it wasn't for Chris she knew she wouldn't have lasted this long, and she had no doubt that if she wasn't extremely careful she wouldn't last much longer. The only thing they had found that helped was either staying away from people or being so focused on something that nothing else could come through, hence the hunting. Chris loved it because it fed his ego, but she did it to give her a bit of peace in a chaotic world.

Seeing the motel office, Cara casually walked inside as if she was hoping for information. Suddenly though she realized she wasn't alone, and that John was close… very close. Taking a deep breath, she hoped she could find a back way out; she wasn't ready for the game to end so soon.

An older woman looked up from the latest Harlequin romance in her hands and Cara wondered if she'd ever be able to get that image out of her head; she prayed that she would, and soon.

"Hi, I'm looking for my Uncle. He was going to meet my cousins here, you see Sammy's been sick and…"

"Oh my, yes, I know just the boys you're looking for. Poor little guy, he looked so ill the last time I saw him. They're in that room across the way honey, but I'm not exactly sure where your Uncle is at the moment; he went in one direction while his friends went in the other."

Nodding, Cara acted as if this was all new information to her and hoped that she could find a way out soon before the door…

The bell over the door gave out a small tinkling sound announcing someone's entrance and Cara didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Now though she had to wonder how to play it, either way she needed to stay calm.

"Cara, what are you doing here?" John asked calmly, hoping not to rouse suspicion with the elderly clerk.

Turning, Cara smiled widely and threw herself into John's arms all the while thinking 'this is going to hurt.' "Uncle Johnny! Thank God I found you, I've been so worried."

John knew something was happening, but had no idea what it could be, it was almost like a pressure in his brain and then suddenly it was gone. Looking down at the young woman he had to wonder what just happened. He didn't hear the others join them, didn't feel Bobby's hand on his shoulder, and didn't see their worried glances; all he knew was this woman in front of him was the key to what he was searching for, and she was somehow killing him.

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They were sitting in the Full Service Lane at the gas station down the road from the diner and neither one had said a word; Sam being too tired and Dean being too deep in thought. Dean had no doubt in his mind that whoever was keeping track of them had orders not to do anything until some predetermined time or signal, but that wasn't what had him truly disturbed; it was the revelation he had while getting back in the Impala at the diner, his Sammy thought he was going to be left again.

Dean hated not knowing what to do when it came to his little brother, the same brother who had been his sole responsibility since he was four and Sammy only a baby. Now though he thought he was starting to understand some of the nervousness that he's sensed in his brother, but he wasn't sure what he could do to alleviate it. Finally he decided that if they were going to do this they needed to do it before they hit the road to face whoever it was that was out there.

"Sammy, we need to talk buddy." He said quietly, hoping not to alarm his brother. Seeing Sammy look at him with tired eyes he started to back out, but then he realized it wasn't only fatigue he saw those wide expressive eyes, it was acceptance. "Aw Sammy, don't… really man what the…" Dean couldn't get his mind and mouth to sync up and he could tell it was worrying his little brother more than he thought possible. "Sammy, you're not going anywhere!" he blurted, then thought about that and shook his head. "I mean, without me… you're not going anywhere without me. Ok?" he saw that his words had penetrated his brother's brain, but there was something lacking in Sammy's response.

"Ok Dean."

That was it, no long winded argument; no questions, just 'ok Dean', and that really got the warning bells going off in Dean's brain. "I'm serious Sammy, we're in this together. I don't care what I have to do, but there is no way you're going to be left somewhere with me, got it?"

Sam nodded while looking out the window. He heard the words, but had to wonder about the catch. He'd always known that if it was a choice between him and Dad, Dean would choose their dad every time; it was just a fact he lived with and gave up questioning it a long time ago. He hadn't realized Dean had moved until he felt a hand turn his head, and what he saw shocked him; his big brother looked like he was going to cry, and it scared him.

"I swear to you Sammy, Dad's not going to do that to you again. Do you hear me? We're a team, and that's the way it's just going to be until one of us becomes old and decrepit. Hey, it can't be me… I'm too good looking to become old… or decrepit." Dean said with a smile. He watched as his baby brother looked into his eyes and saw the truth in them, he wasn't going to be abandoned; not ever again.

Nodding, Sam smiled, "Thanks Dean."

"Yeah, well don't get carried away otherwise we'll be like those chick flicks, then you'd have to shoot me, ok?" Dean joked, happy to see Sammy looking as if he wasn't carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders anymore. 'Definitely worth the chick flick moment kiddo.' He thought as he pulled the Impala out onto the road and started the next leg of their journey.


	15. Chapter 15

AN: Hey everyone... hope you like this one... I'll try to update again soon! 

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John fell to the floor of the motel office hard, not hearing or seeing the commotion his collapse had caused. Instead his mind flashed to the night of his beloved Mary's death, and he could see only her, pinned to the ceiling as baby Sammy cried in the background. He was helpless to stop the flames as they fanned around her, consuming the ceiling, the walls, until the whole nursery was engulfed. He could only stare unmoving while Dean screamed in the hallway as he too watched Sammy's crib get eaten up by the flames and finally the screams from the tiny bed changed from terror to pain to whimpers and then silence. He felt the heat sear into him, tear into his flesh until he could feel no more and suddenly his last sight was his oldest boy succumbing to the flames as well as he attempted to reach him and his little brother.

Bobby had no idea what the bitch had done but he wasn't going to let her get away with it. As she ran towards the door, he chased after her knowing that both Caleb and Joshua would take care of John. He reached the street and continued his haphazard path as she dashed out into traffic not bothering to check for a safe route. It was madness, but then again, considering who he was chasing, Bobby figured it fit. As he continued his pursuit, he was starting to swear off beer and greasy foods until he realized that it wouldn't have mattered anyway; she had a car waiting far enough from the motel not to be noticed, far enough that it would take too long to go back to his truck and follow.

"Damn it!" he yelled, ignoring the stares that were being directed his way. He needed to hurry back to John and help figure out if the fool was alright or not.

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Cara felt as if her head was being split open, but she was able to get away and that was what mattered most. Normally she couldn't pull out a memory like that, but it was something that apparently hurt John every day of his life and that's what she wanted to do… torture the man until he couldn't function. Unfortunately it would wear off soon, but she had managed to get a piece of information from him while she was twisting the memory of his late wife's demise; she now was closer to knowing where the boys were going and she was going to put that information to good use. 

She knew that they were heading to Washington, but she'd have to wait for the exact location from Alex when he checked in. She'd get close enough though that she could be right on top of the Winchester boys in less than six hours from the time she knew exactly where they were. Knowing that her best chance of getting a flight would be in Chicago, she steered her way northeast knowing that she had a two hour drive ahead of her. That didn't deter her at all though, she knew that once she got to O'Hare she'd be able to get a flight west and be even closer to her prey; once again, she'd be two steps ahead of John Winchester, and that would give her more time to play. 

Driving non-stop, she parked in the long term parking of O'Hare International and hesitated only a moment before separating items that she would need on the plane, then dismantling the firearms so they would be allowed in the hold. As she walked confidently up to the reservation desk, she checked the time and smiled. She knew that by now John was feeling better, but that didn't worry her, she was a couple hours away from and that was only if they knew exactly where she was going. 

"Hi, I need a flight to Spokane, Washington, a direct flight if you have one; my nephew's ill and I need to get to him as soon as possible." 

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Dean was happy to see his little brother sleeping next to him, he'd been concerned that the long term sitting up would wear on the younger boy, but now he saw that Sammy was resting peacefully and that was all he needed to know. He was now thankful they had their talk at the gas station; he could tell that it helped his little brother more than anything else. 

Now though there was something else bothering him. They were supposed to meet their Dad at an old abandoned cabin in the middle of Olympic National Park, but he wasn't sure how he was going to get Sammy there. They had found the cabin purely by accident during a hunting trip, when Sammy had been around eight and barely knew what really laid waiting in the dark; it was complete with deer, bears and a banshee who didn't know when her job was done. The hunt would have gone better if a sudden storm had broke overhead making chaos closely follow, and their supplies had to be abandoned because Yogi woke up a little early looking for a picnic basket. It had actually been Sam who had found the cabin, tucked up on a ridge between the rain forest and complete wilderness; it was so surreal that none of them thought it was real at first. After all, who expects to find a stone and log cabin in the middle of a National Park when you actually need one?

They had spent two weeks exploring the area after the storm passed, two weeks that everything seemed right with the world and everyone was at peace. Their dad had taught them how to catch fish with a trap, which berry's they could eat, and how to find dry wood even in the middle of the pouring rain. He remembered how his dad looked more peaceful than he could ever remember since his mom's death, and he wondered why they didn't try to stay longer. His little brother had been in total awe of the surrounding area and he had to admit that if there was a heaven then that was what it had to look like. They didn't talk about it after they left, it was just something that they shared silently and somehow knew they would be able to find again when they needed it; and right now they needed it. The problem was; would Sammy be up to hiking into the forest to get to it?

His musings were interrupted when he noticed a plain white car edging closer in his rear view mirror. At first he didn't think too much about it, playing it off as some other traveler like many others on the road; until the car sped up to the Impala's bumper and started to tap it. 

'I know you didn't just do _that_, you fugly sonofa…' Dean thought, just as the car bumped the Impala harder.

Realizing that this had to be the same dude that had been following them for God only knew how long, Dean decided it was time to put some distance between them. "Sammy, wake up pal and hang on!" he said firmly, hoping that his brother would do just that so he wouldn't have to worry so much. _'Yeah, right!'_

Pressing down on the accelerator, Dean felt a moment of pride when the Impala's engine growled as it burst forward. Nothing ever got to him as much as the sound of her engine but he knew this wasn't the time to indulge himself, so he was content to watch the white Monte Carlo get smaller in the rear view mirror. Glancing over at his brother, he saw confusion in Sammy's eyes and he smiled in return. "It's ok Sammy, we'll lose them then you can go back to sleep." 

"Dean, what's going on?" Sam asked, trying not to get worried, but there was the fact that his brother wouldn't go speeding through a mountain range unless there was real trouble following close behind; the Impala was good, but not _that_ good.

"Nothing I can't handle Sammy, just relax ok?" Dean asked, suddenly aware that his little brother had grown pale and that was not a good sign, especially right now. "I mean it buddy, just stay calm and I'll get us out of this mess, alright?"

Sam nodded, knowing that if anyone could save them, it was Dean. He just wished he wasn't the reason his brother was so worried; he wasn't an idiot, he knew that the only reason why Dean was feeling this pressured was because he was still sick. "Dean, where are we?"

Dean knew the real question and he had to smile, "Don't worry Sammy, we'll be out of the range soon, then we'll really be able to lose this moron." He took a moment to glance over and saw the trust his little brother had in him, and it made him even more determined to fulfill his promise. 'I won't let you down Sammy.'

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Caleb, Joshua, and Bobby all took turns trying to get through to John, but nothing seemed to help; it was as if he was in his own private hell and none of them knew how to pull him out of it. Caleb and Joshua had managed to get him back to the room, insisting that the clerk not call for an ambulance. By the time Bobby got back, both men were exhausted from the exertion of lugging a man John's size around, and trying to keep him calm as well. 

They could tell by the screams what the man was seeing, and for him to relive the death of his wife was bad enough, but to have the scene that played out for him changed so drastically almost broke the other hunters just imagining it. None of them could think of what their lives would be like without either boy in them. They all had lost count how many times the false memory played out in the other hunter's mind, but suddenly he stopped screaming in mid rant, scaring them all with the thought that he had a sudden stroke from the stress.

"Oh God…" John muttered quietly through strained vocal chords. "Oh God, what the hell?"

"John? You ok over there?" Caleb asked, trying to stay out swinging distance, but wanting to make sure his friend was doing better. 

John looked around the room as if he'd never seen it before, and then settled first on Caleb before switching to Joshua and finally Bobby. It took him a few moments before he finally asked, "It wasn't real?"

Shaking their heads, the hunters simultaneously agreed, "No." giving John the much needed solace that his boys were alive and hadn't burned to death twelve years ago.

"Thank God!" he said as he tried to scrub the remaining residual effects from his mind. "What the hell did she do to me?"

"From what we can tell she altered your worst memory, thankfully it doesn't seem to have lasting effects." Bobby said while handing John a glass of water.

Nodding, John was thankful that he had good friends around him to make sure he hadn't done anything stupid. "Thanks."

The others nodded in acceptance, each knowing that he would have done the same for them. When the silence got too much, Joshua spoke up giving them all a clue as to what they were really in for.

"I had a friend run her credit activity; she just bought a plane ticket to Spokane, it leaves in two hours."

John looked at the others and knew what was on their minds, and decided it was better to fill them in. "We need to either get to her, or get to Seattle before she figures out where the boys are heading." At their confused looks he replied, "They're heading to Olympia National Park, if we hurry we can either cut her off here or be in position to keep her away from the boys when she gets there."

Sensing the urgency, they quickly packed everything and rushed towards the truck, not bothering to check out; instead laying rubber on the pavement as they rushed to Chicago.


	16. Chapter 16

AN: OMG... I am soooo sorry... I had this written, and forgot I hadn't posted it! Again... so sorry! 

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Dean saw the sign announcing Spokane was close by and he felt the need to release the breath that he hadn't been aware he was holding. After a couple of close calls with the trailing Monte Carlo, he had managed to outsmart the bastard by doing something extremely foolish if not down right stupid; passing another vehicle while on a curving downgrade, narrowly missing a semi in the oncoming lane. He knew Sammy forgave him, but he doubted he'd ever forget the sound of his little brother's terrified scream as it combined with the sound of the truck's horn blaring and the Impala's engine roaring all combined into one earth shattering crescendo.

Checking the rear view mirror again, he was almost certain that he'd bought them enough time to find some out of the way place to take care of both his babies. He knew that Sammy's medicine was probably coming due, he was getting hungry again, and they needed gas too; so he was more than a little anxious to get into town and take care of everyone's needs before they continued on. He knew that his brother was tired, but also knew that getting him to climb into the backseat again would be next to impossible; so he allowed himself the knowledge that he'd help Sammy by feeding him a decent meal, checking that incision and making sure his meds were taken properly.

Sam felt like crap, and not just because his incision had been pulling for the last couple of hours, more like he felt like crap because he knew his brother was being reckless only because of him. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but he did know that it had to be a big deal for Dean to risk the Impala like he just did. At the moment though, he couldn't bring himself to care; all he wanted to do was sleep, well… after he went to the bathroom. Trying hard to keep his mind off that particular bodily function, he instead tried to remember why his dad wasn't there, but the closest thing he could think of was he'd found another hunt. That didn't make much sense to him under the circumstances, but then again with his brain acting like it was filled with cotton, he figured that any reason was as good as any.

As the Impala slid easily into an empty parking space, Dean took the moment to carefully check out the area. He knew there were several ways they could leave if they were in a hurry, but he was hoping to avoid that if at all possible; his brother needed a break. He wasn't fooled by the way Sammy had been quiet since the close call with the semi, he was exhausted and hurting; two things he knew his little brother should never be, but especially right now. "Ok Sammy, how about we get inside, check you over and then get something to eat? I. am. starved… how about you?" he asked, hoping to get more than two words out of the kid.

"Yeah Dean, sounds good." Sam said, trying hard not to wince at the pain in his muscles and side. He just hoped there wasn't any sign that something could be wrong so he could convince his overprotective big brother that he was getting better; even though he really didn't believe it himself.

Dean gave a short nod before he was out of the car and helping his brother into the diner and towards the restrooms. It didn't take him long to see why Sammy had suddenly clammed up, the stitches were showing signs of pulling; definitely not good. Swiping a hand across his face, Dean stared at the incision trying to decide how to handle the situation. Finally though he realized that if he wanted his brother to trust him, then he needed to show some trust as well, no matter how hard it would be to wait. "Alright Sammy, uh… I'll be honest with you, you've pulled the stitches a bit and I'm surprised you're not screaming in pain, but I'm trusting that you'll let me know what you need. Ok?"

Sam looked at Dean a moment in stunned silence, that wasn't what he expected; he thought his brother would go off on him for not telling him about what was going on. Letting the words fill his brain he finally understood that Dean was giving him the power to determine what needed to be done. "Uh… can we rest a little bit then decide? I think I'm more tired than I thought."

Smiling, Dean felt relieved when he heard that because if his little brother hadn't admitted to needing rest he was going to have to do something underhanded like knock the kid out; somehow he didn't think that was going to help him build trust with the kid. "Sure Sammy, let's eat first, then we can either find a room or you can settle back in the backseat again, how's that sound?" he asked, not caring which they did because at this point if they got to the forest too soon, he wouldn't be able to get Sammy to the cabin anyways. As it was, the kid was able to make it across a parking lot and across the diner without too much help.

With a new plan developing, they settled in for something to eat and some time to collect their thoughts before heading back out on the road; either towards their actual destination, or a slight detour in the road they didn't know.

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John hated airports, they always seemed to have security in the wrong places; of course today that would actually work in their benefit. Having bought four tickets to Seattle, and checking in the 'luggage', they had barely enough time to get through the slack security who didn't even pick up on the bone knife that Joshua had tucked in his boot, then board the plane before they taxied onto the runway and… stopped. There had been a delay with one of the plane's clearance's which had caused a backup along the runway frustrating John to the point that he wanted to bite through something; he just knew that in one of the planes ahead of them was Cara Kline and he couldn't get to her.

As they sat in the plane and waited, the hunters started going over everything they would need to help track Cara down. Joshua looked at John and said quietly, "I contacted a friend of mine who was able to arrange some transportation for when we land. He'll keep an ear out and let us know if he hears anything about her or the boys."

Nodding, John knew that Joshua meant well, but he hadn't really planned on getting anyone else involved; of course he hadn't really planned this far ahead either, but here they were stuck in a tin can about to take off in the attempt to cut off a crazy person from fulfilling her promise to make him pay. Well, there's nothing like flying by the seat of your pants, is there? Trying not to think about the consequences if he should fail, he instead tried to focus on what had kept him going all these years, but just as soon as the images of his boys flashed in his mind, the image of Sammy lying near death in a hospital bed assaulted him, bringing his shortcomings into the open even as he fought them back. He wished he could take that portion of time back, handled it differently, but he couldn't so he could only try to make amends the only way he knew how; fix the situation, and that meant getting rid of Chris Kline's sister.

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Dean couldn't believe his little brother, either the kid was tough as nails or still thought he'd be sent away and was trying to prove himself; either way, Dean wasn't sure what to do with him. Looking in the rear view mirror he was happy to see Sammy finally dozing if not fully sleeping. It had taken a small miracle to get him in the back and settled, but his brother had decided he needed to rest while they made the seven hour drive to the park. Somehow Sammy sensed the urgency to get there, and Dean wasn't going to ignore his little brother's instincts; especially since he himself knew what was chasing them. His only consolation had been that by the time they got to the National Park it would be too late for them to even attempt a start to the cabin, so they agreed to get a room close to the park so they could get an early start in the morning.

Now as he drove them down the highway he had to wonder yet again what their dad was doing to fix this mess. Somehow it was his doing that brought the whole crazy mess down on their heads; he only hoped it would be their dad that was able to fix it before it touched his brother further, either that or he'd be able to spot the danger himself and dispose of it altogether.

He had just settled back into the seat further when he saw a familiar vehicle pull in behind him making him curse his bad luck. Now behind them was the same white Monte Carlo and it was all Dean could do not to scream curses at the vast universe. He had a feeling that losing the guy this time wouldn't be as easy as the last, but he wasn't going to allow his baby brother to be on the receiving end of whatever the maniac had in mind. 

Accelerating the Impala faster down the road he had a small sense of satisfaction that she was going to be able to outrun her, but then a thought hit him that made him want to hit his head on the dash. 'We have to stop for gas sometime.' If only he could get ahead enough to stay ahead, then maybe they'd have a shot of keeping out reach.


	17. Chapter 17

AN: Sorry for the delay, I hope this chapter makes up for it though... .don't forget to let me know! Don't forget to check out ch16 first due to a delay in posting it... oops! 

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As they sped along the Interstate, trying hard not to attract the attention of the highway patrol, Dean tried hard to keep his thoughts in check; he had one job and he would not fail. Checking the back seat he knew that his little brother wasn't out of the woods yet, and this impromptu trip more than likely wasn't doing him any good, but there was nothing to be done about it now. Instead, he could only hope that they were ahead of the other car to at least get a full tank of gas, and convince Sammy to drink more water.

Seeing that he couldn't risk the gas tank anymore, he took the exit boasting of gas and food and ended up at a large gas station that didn't have a full service lane which made Dean's nerves stand at attention. He didn't want to leave Sammy in the car, but there was no way they would have time to help his brother shuffle inside and back out again. Stopping at the pump, Dean turned around and roused his sleeping brother.

"Hey Sammy, I need you to stay here while I get gas and some more water for you, ok?"

Confused, it took Sam a moment to comprehend what his brother said; then shook his head. "Dean… I uh… damn it!" 

Shocked, Dean wasn't sure what to think until it donned on him that his little brother had been sleeping for the last couple of hours after having taken his medicine and drinking another bottle of water. "Damn Sammy, I'm sorry… yeah, of course, we'll take a few extra…"

"Dean, you do what you need to do and I'll go inside. I'll make sure I have a knife with me just in case, ok?" Sam said as he watched Dean hesitate. "You and I both know we need to get out of here quick, I'll try to hurry Dean but you need to concentrate on getting us ready to go."

Nodding, Dean knew that Sammy was right… they did need to go. As it was they could end up right in front or right behind the other guy again. Jumping out of the car, he was going to make sure of two things before he let his baby brother go off on his own; the first was pick out the knife, the second was help him out of the car.

Dean watched Sammy make his way across the lot slowly, and wished that he was right there with him, but he needed to get the gas started before he headed inside himself. Satisfied that the auto shut off worked, he rushed inside content in knowing Sammy had found the bathroom in the back of the store. Grabbing two bottled waters, a bag of M&M's, and a couple pieces of fruit for his brother, he rushed to the clerk to pay completely ignoring the cute girl behind the counter; his only concern was the person behind the door to the side. Sammy had just emerged from the bathroom as the total was rung up and they managed to get to the Impala together; Dean feeling better because he hadn't let Sammy down, and Sam feeling better because… well, just because.

Back out on the road, Dean glanced next to him and was satisfied to see Sammy eating an apple and drinking his water; it was a good sign that things were getting better. No sooner had he started to nurture that thought than he felt the first bump and he knew instinctively who and what it was. Looking over to the passenger side, he saw his brother had been in the middle of taking another bite when they felt the nudge on the back bumper. Now Sammy seemed frozen neither finishing his bite, nor putting the apple down, and Dean would have laughed if they weren't in such a bind.

The second bump was hard enough to make the Impala swerve in the lane and extract a curse from Dean while he righted the car again. He could tell that Sammy was bracing himself and a stray thought hit him upside the head – they didn't check his incision on the last stop. Feeling the frustration from before mold into fury, Dean looked in the rear view mirror and for one brief moment caught a glimpse of their attacker; and it pissed him off more. This wasn't someone with a grudge; this was someone who got their jollies by hurting people. 'So not going to happen.' He vowed silently as he pressed the Impala forward and watched for an opportunity to get rid of the madman, the problem was though they were now back in another mountain range and it wasn't going to be easy.

Sam was quiet, he didn't want to distract his big brother from what he had to do, but he couldn't think of how they were going to get out of this. Dean had to slow down a little for the curves, and he knew that it was more to try to protect _him_ from further harm than the actual thought that the Impala couldn't handle it at the speed they were going. 'Well, if I'm going to die, then I'm glad I'm with Dean instead of in a hospital hooked up to machines.' He thought with a sense of peace that he couldn't remember feeling before. He looked behind them and saw the white car had somehow managed to gain on them, showing just exactly what type of crazy they were really dealing with. Suddenly though, he couldn't see the car due to a very large object that seemed to just appear out of nowhere. "Uh… Dean?"

Dean knew something was going on as soon as he heard his brother call out his name. Looking in the mirror he saw what had made Sammy alarmed, behind them was a big semi that looked oddly familiar. Suddenly recalling where it was he saw it, he couldn't help but grin. "Looks like we got ourselves a guardian angel little brother." 

Any celebration was short lived however as the white car started to pass the blue grey semi, causing both Winchester's to wonder what it was going to take to get rid of this guy. As they maneuvered around the curves, the tires squealing in protest and the engine roaring in determination, a faded sign was barely visible announcing "Danger! Steep Grade!" giving Dean only a moment to understand that they were in even more trouble than they had initially thought. "Hang on Sammy!" Dean yelled, as he tried to balance his speed and traction on the road while at the same time keeping an eye on the two objects that were rapidly getting bigger in his mirror. 

Suddenly, the semi started to fishtail, slightly at first, but as they were making their way around another curve in the steep grade, it was as if the big truck had lost total control and whipped around first toward the mountain then back towards the cliff, breaking through the guardrail with a resounding crash, sweeping the Monte Carlo with it.

Stunned, both Dean and Sam looked at each other before Dean hit the breaks and slid to a stop as close to the side as he could. "Stay here Sammy, I'll be right back!" Dean said as he scrambled out his side and ran back to where he witnessed the semi go off the road. Looking down, he saw the white car in flames with no visible movement from inside, and the remains of the big rig crumpled at the bottom.

"You know, I told you all you had to do was call, I would have listened." A voice said wryly from behind Dean making him whirl around.

"Oh my God! Gill, right? Damn man, you scared the hell out of me!" Dean exclaimed, the adrenaline rush still raging through his body.

Gill smiled a moment, "Yeah, well I think I scared the hell out of someone else too." He said as he watched the flames burn. "I have to go kid. You take care of that brother of yours, not too many people go the extra mile anymore; even for one of their own."

Dean stood for a moment contemplating the man's words, and then nodded. "Sure thing, and thanks man… really I mean…"

His voice trailed off as he saw he was alone on the road. Whirling around he looked back down and saw the blue grey semi with the lettering The Galloping Ghost written on the side of the cab slowly disappear until there was no trace of it ever being there.

Stunned, Dean stared in complete disbelief until he remembered that he had parked his baby brother on the side of the road, by himself, with crazy drivers just anxious to plow themselves into the Impala. As he rushed back towards the car, he contemplated telling Sammy what happened. "Nah… he'd think I was drunk! A helpful ghost… too weird even for us."

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John wanted to land now and they hadn't been in the air for more than half an hour, but for whatever reason they were bouncing around more in the airplane than they had in the truck on the way to the airport. Although, the more he thought about it the more he knew he was doing better than some others at the moment. To verify his musings, he turned and saw Bobby looking greener than he'd ever seen on a person. Smirking, he turned back around and tried to keep his mind focused, but found it wandering again.

He knew that they would be in Seattle in about three hours, then another three hours to the National Park. Cara would land in Spokane before them, but it would take her seven hours to get there too, giving them a little leeway to get into position and either find the boys and help get them out of harms way, or run interference to ensure their safety. Either way, they knew the only sleep they might get tonight would be on the plane; not that any of them could sleep.

The picture of his Sammy flashed in front of him and it unsettled him once again. His baby boy had been wasting away while he had claimed his laziness, and that notion didn't set well with him. It was at that moment that he had actually understood fully just how badly he had failed as a parent, and he promised his beautiful wife that he wouldn't make the same mistake again. Settling back in his seat he tried to remember his boys as they had been when they were children and that thought made him want to cry; Dean had turned into a serious protector overnight, and little Sammy had only known uncertainty in his young life no matter how much he and Dean had tried to keep him from it.

Before he realized that he had lost track of time, the announcement that they were approaching Seattle and everyone needed to take their seats and fasten their seatbelts. Taking a deep breath, John forced himself back to the present, to stay focused, to save his little boy.

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Cara was anticipating her next move, she had been in the air for a couple of hours and she was anxious to get her feet back on the ground so she could try to contact Alex and find out where he was in hopes of figuring out their true destination. When she had linked to John earlier she had only got the impression of Washington's forests, but which one? She had been banking on getting that information as soon as she landed, but now she started to worry that somehow Matt's brother would end up screwing her out of her revenge; he was insane after all.

All she wanted was little Sammy Winchester, how hard was that to accomplish? Once she had him in her presence, then she could exact her revenge on his father, and then everything could get back to normal. Well, as normal as it could be without her brother with her. She had been there when he died, but felt the guilt for not being there to stop the werewolf from mauling him in the first place. By the time the light had actually faded completely from his eyes, she had heard John and Matt arguing and it didn't take long to figure out what happened; they had shot Chris! John had insisted that Chris had been too injured to survive as it was, and he had begged to be released from the pain; for them to kill him. She knew it had to have been John, he had been the wild card of the group during that hunt, someone they had known but not fully trusted only because of his reputation for being hardheaded.

Lying back as far as she could, she settled in for an hour or so of sleep. Fifteen minutes later, she woke suddenly feeling as if her head had been put in a vice but smiled all the same. She knew where they were going, she had missed the sign during the first vision from John, but now she knew and she was anxious to get there. Now though she had to wonder if she should take a flight closer to Olympia National Park, or drive straight though per her original plan. After checking the time, she knew that getting another flight out that late would be next to impossible, and resigned herself to a long night of driving.

Leaning back again, she allowed herself to drift off and dream of a certain teenager and all the things she already had planned for him. As the flight attendant walked past, she shuddered at the sleeping passenger, not liking the feral grin that was on the young woman.


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Hey there... hope you all like this chapter... don't forget to let me know!!

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Dean was continually amazed by his little brother. He had been expecting the kid to doze off at any moment, but instead had him in stitches the rest of the trip with jokes and stories about people from the last school he'd attended. Dean couldn't help but admire Sammy for the strength that he'd shown through his whole ordeal, and even now pushing himself to make sure Dean was ok for the rest of their journey; it brought home all that much harder how much both he and their dad had let the kid down.

"Hey Sammy, I'm hungry. There's a diner up ahead, and I think I see a sign for vacancies a little further… what do you think, up for some food?" Dean asked, gauging his little brother's reaction.

Sam looked at his brother and gave him a tired smile, it had been a long day but he'd try not to worry Dean. "Yeah…yeah, food's good. Hey, do you think I can have a soda this time?" He knew that what he ate and drank right now was extremely important, but he was seriously craving a Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper… _anything_ with sugar and fizz.

Smiling, Dean knew that things were getting back to normal, and this just confirmed it. "Yeah, I think we can allow you _one_ soda tonight. Maybe tomorrow you can have another, we'll see how…"

"Dean, I know… and it's ok, really, I get it. Let's get inside though before people start thinking we're out here necking." Sam joked, enjoying the shocked look on his brother's face.

As they walked inside, Dean paid careful attention to his brother, he now knew that Sammy had been holding back, and was indeed pushing himself. Now he was more determined to make this as short a stop as possible, then it was straight to the motel where he'd make sure his little brother got a decent nights sleep even if he had to hog tie him to the bed.

A waitress by the name of Nanci suddenly appeared and after looking at Sammy critically looked at Dean and practically growled at him. "My God boy, don't you take better care of your family than that? Poor boy looks pale as a ghost and the circles under his eyes look like he's trying out for a part in one of those horror movies my kids watch all the time!"

Dean sat there in the booth stunned by the barrage from this woman that they hadn't even met yet. Not sure how to answer he was even more shocked when she started speaking again.

"Ok, I'm going to guess that you want the special, but this kid is getting something extra special. No one this sick deserves to eat the food here when Zack's stoned out of his head. Now honey, do you want blueberry, strawberry, banana, or a combo?" Nanci asked while looking at Sam with expectation.

Not sure how to answer, he hesitated before asking, "For what?"

Nanci laughed then shook her head, "Alright, I'll make you a combo, don't worry it'll be small. I'll also throw in a small salad and some soup, trust me someone in your condition need to stay away from Zack's creations tonight."

The boys stared in awe as the woman sauntered away, then looked at each other in puzzlement. "Who was that manic woman?" Dean asked, and then laughed at his brother's answering shrug.

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Joshua found the Ford Explorer exactly where his buddy had promised, not only did it have a full tank of gas, but also provisions and equipment to make any hunter feel better about camping out in the middle of an unfamiliar forest. It didn't take long for everyone to pile in the small SUV, and even less time to peel out of the airport parking lot causing the pedestrians to scatter.

It was after ten and the moon shone brightly, but none of the hunters noticed, nor cared; they had one thing on their mind and it had nothing to do with the scenery. Their collective thought was to get to the boys and keep Cara off their backs.

Bobby had taken a moment at the airport to update Jim on what was going on and where they were heading next, or at least where they thought they were heading next. John's attitude had thrown him for a loop and he wasn't exactly sure what to expect from the man at the moment. As far as he knew they could start in one direction then turn back around again. He knew that Jim was concerned, and the priest had every right to be, this wasn't normal Winchester behavior and it was starting to worry all of them.

As they traveled down the road in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, John took the time to try and pull himself together. He hated the idea that it was hunters after his boys; it had been one of the reasons why he didn't allow Dean and Sammy to go with him on many of his hunts, some hunters you just shouldn't be around. Now though, not only are they having to race to find his sons, but are having to get prepared to possibly kill those that at one time they had considered colleagues. He knew that the men he was traveling with loved his boys and would do whatever it took to keep them safe, but he couldn't allow them to be in on the exact location of the boys' destination either. It was a fine line, but it was the only sense of control that he felt he could maintain. Besides, the fewer people who know about it, the less likely Cara will find out, and that was more than enough to keep his mouth shut.

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Dean watching in horrified fascination as Nanci started towards them with a tray balanced on her shoulder filled with a various plates, bowls, and glasses. The most terrifying for him was one of the glasses filled with a thick dark colored liquid and he prayed that that wasn't part of the special. Sam had seen the look on his brother's face and wondered about it, but didn't have the energy to turn around and find out for himself.

Nanci started emptying her tray, making sure Dean had his first before turning her attention to Sam. "Alright honey, here's what I did for you. This is a fruit smoothie, now before you turn your nose up at it, give a shot; if you don't like it, I'll take it back and I'll make you a strawberry milkshake." She waited patiently while Sam first looked hesitantly at the glass, then at his brother before he looked warily at his glass again. Finally Sam took a sip and looked at her with surprise. "Yeah, pretty good isn't it?" She asked, as she put his soup and salad in front of him. "The trick is to balance the fruits so one doesn't overpower the rest. My husband had cancer so we learned all the tricks to making something healthy taste great. Now I have two old goats over there who think they own all my time, but don't you worry, I'll be back in a little bit."

They watched her walk off shouted at two older men at the counter and they had to wonder just how much of a force of nature she really was. Dean shook his head and got a good look at his food, then wondered if it was too late to change his mind about eating all together. The pork chop looked like it was swimming in something, and even Dean couldn't tell if it was butter, gravy, or some reject of both, the green vegetable next to it looked like someone had beat it into submission and was dotted with brown specks that Dean hoped was bacon bits, all the while the baked potato looked more raw with a smattering of parsley all over it. "Hey Sammy, you know, if you don't think you can eat all yours, I'll be more than willing to help."

Sam laughed when looking at his brother's plight. He had always teased Dean about being a human garbage disposal, but even he had his limits apparently. Now though, after tasting what was in front of him, he felt bad because everything tasted pretty good and he was actually starting to feel hungry again. He was trying to figure out what to do when he felt a hand cover his and he looked up to his big brother watching him with concern.

"Hey, I was teasing kiddo. I expect you to eat all of that; got it?" Dean asked, as he watched his little brother process what he said. Sometimes Sammy thought too much, which was always great ammo to use against him, but right now the kid needed to eat; even if it meant he was stuck with the mystery meat from hell. He watched as his little brother nodded and worked on his soup and salad, periodically washing it down with some of the smoothie and he had to admit, it seemed to have boosted his brother's spirits. He was so focused on Sammy he was slightly surprised when a large glass appeared in front of him.

"Just because you're a big macho man doesn't mean you get out of it so easily. You're taking care of your brother; you need to keep healthy too. So, drink up… I better not find any at the bottom of that glass either – got it?" Nanci said with a smile as she patted him on the back and headed back towards the kitchen.

Dean looked at his plate, then at the glass and said, "God, I love that woman!" making his little brother start laughing again which was an even better treat for him than the smoothie that was saving him from starvation.

By the time they finished eating; Sam was more than a little tired. Dean knew that it was past time to get checked into the motel and get his little brother settled for the night. Although not liking that all the rooms faced the road, he knew that it could also be an advantage. Settling Sammy onto his bed, Dean ran out and gathered their bags, he knew he's have to be quick otherwise his little brother would fall asleep and miss his meds. He was surprised to see is little brother sitting up, watching the door intently with a worried look on his face. "Hey Sammy, what's wrong?" he asked, slamming the door shut and rushing towards the bed.

"Dean, you need to sleep too. Please, can you do that for me?" Sam asked, truly worried about what Nanci said.

Looking at his brother, Dean knew that this wasn't something that was going to be settled with a few empty assurances. Whatever he said, he had to mean; even if he didn't like it. "So you won't believe me if I tell you I'm fine, will you?" he asked, then quickly saw the confirmation in his little brother's eyes. "Sammy, you know I'd do anything for you, but you're still sick and…"

"And you won't do me any good if you get sick yourself Dean! We still have to hike to the cabin, and I don't know if you've thought about this, but… I'm not exactly in the best shape at the moment; it's going to be a very slow trek. If you want to help me, then please, help yourself… get some sleep." Sam begged, hoping that his brother would do what needed to be done and not some macho version of it.

He _had_ been thinking about it, how he was going to get his little brother to that cabin, he'd been thinking about it a lot. It wasn't going to be easy, and he was more concerned than ever that whatever progress Sammy had made would falter by the exertion it would take to get there. Sighing, he sat on the bed and looked at his brother intently. "Listen to me very carefully, you know that I'll do anything to make sure nothing happens to you, right?" he asked watching for any flicker of uncertainty, when he saw acceptance he continued, "If I have to carry you on my back all the way up the damn mountain, I will; that's _my_ job. _Your_ job is to get better so you can keep me and dad in line. Got it?" He saw the shocked look on Sammy's face and smiled. "It's time for your meds, then we'll both get some sleep, ok?"

Sam nodded and accepted the pills and bottled water from his brother, even more in awe of him now than he had been when he was four and was being picked on by some older boys in the motel play yard. He remembered the exact moment that Dean had become his hero instead of dad.

"_Hey, look at the runt guys!" a voice bellowed behind Sammy, making him turn around in the swing quickly. He saw a group of four boys all a little older than his brother, and they didn't look nice at all. He looked around to try to find Dean, then remembered that his brother had gone to get them a soda to share from the vending machine on the other side of the building._

"_Yeah, guess it's our lucky day. This is our park pipsqueak, so shove off!" another boy said as he shoved Sammy off the swing making his little body crash into the hard gravel, tearing into his skin._

"_Go away! Leave me alone!" Sammy screamed at the boys in between sobs, not liking that they laughed harder at the sight of his tears._

"_Aw poor widdle baby is cwying… maybe we should tell his mommy baby needs his ba-ba!" the boys taunted, making the little boy cry even harder. He knew he didn't have a mommy and that always hurt to be reminded. _

_Just as the older boys started shoving Sammy around, a voice broke through the chaos and everyone turned to face a very upset Dean Winchester. "That's my little brother you're messing with." He said with a forced calm. The other boys smirked and pushed Sammy harder making him fall again to the graveled ground._

"_Oh yeah, whatcha gonna do about it?" said one of the boys as they started to circle around him._

_Dean smirked at them then gave Sammy a wink before he swung around and hit the first kid in the nose hard enough to cause blood to spurt out. While the other boys first stared in shock, then started to move forward, Dean kicked out to the closest one, connecting with the kid's knee cap, sending the boy to the ground. When a hand grabbed his shoulder, Dean grasped the wrist and twisted it behind the kid's back until he heard a satisfying pop then he let the whimpering boy go. Now he was faced with the kid who had acted like the leader of the group and stared at him for a moment before he spoke. "You know, my dad was a Marine and served in the war, he doesn't raise wimps like other people. So, I'm going to repeat myself this one time… that's my little brother you're messing with."_

_The boys, getting the point, rushed off towards their rooms. Dean immediately scooped his little brother up and wiped the tears away. "Hey little bro, how about we get you cleaned up and have that soda I bought?"_


	19. Chapter 19

AN: Hope everyone likes this one, don't forget to let me know!

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The sound of someone beating on the door not only roused Dean from a very delicious dream, where a beautiful redhead by the name of Charlie… Cherri… something, was whispering things in his ear that actually made him blush, but had him armed with his gun and knife and at the edge of the door before he had his eyes completely open. Silently he listened in between the raps on the metal and finally he realized who it was and he sighed with relief. 'Dad' he thought as he put his knife in his belt and ordered the password.

"Damn it Dean, open up! This isn't time for games!" John bellowed while the men behind him snickered at their friend's predicament.

Dean flung open the door and glared at his father. "Then you should have waited until the sun was up." He tossed over his shoulder as he turned and walked back in the room to check on his brother. Seeing that Sammy hadn't even twitched during the commotion made him nervous and he rushed towards the bed leaving the other hunters to find their own way in.

John looked around the room then at the occupied twin bed. "How is he?" he asked, hoping that there was good news for a change.

"I don't get it," Dean said quietly, "he was doing so much better, but now…" he trailed off as he hurried to the bathroom and started the shower. "His fever's back."

Bobby and Joshua both cursed while John flung the blankets back and watched Dean check the incision. Caleb stayed by the window keeping watch all the while listening to the trouble brewing in the room.

Looking at his little brother's incision, he was puzzled. "I don't see any problems… Dad, what do you see?"

As he walked around the bed to get a better look at his baby boy's side, he was shocked to see just how little there was left of his son. Shaking the horrible feeling away, he bent down and touched the surgical sight then looked at Sammy's face. "Sammy, come on son I need you to wake up." He watched as his little boy moved slightly before his eyes started moving under their lids, finally he saw the dazed look and he grew more concerned. "Dean, I don't think the sight is infected, but he's definitely fighting something."

Scooping his brother up, Dean held him secure even while Sammy looked at him with fear. "Shh… don't worry little brother, we'll get you feeling better in no time." He promised, hoping that he wasn't lying. Another moment later they were in the shower, Dean standing there in the cool water letting the spray hit the bundle in his arms. By the time that Sammy had started to come around, they both were soaked and Dean was shivering.

"Dean, come out now." John said softly, knowing that the only way that it was going to happen was if Dean felt that his little brother's temperature was lower. He watched as Dean nodded and stepped out of the shower then made his way back to the bed.

Sam had no idea why it was so hot or why he ached so much, but he was wishing that his head would stop hurting at least for a little while. "Dean?" he rasped out, wondering why he sounded like that. "Dean, what's going on?" he asked, knowing that if anyone knew it would be his brother.

"Just a little set back Sammy, but don't worry we'll figure it out." John said softly, sitting on the side of the bed.

"Dad?" Sam asked, trying to figure out what was going on. "We're back at Pastor Jim's?"

Feeling as if they all had been kicked in the gut, the men in the room were quiet as they processed what they heard. Bobby wanted to take John out and shoot him, while Joshua mentally cussed the man in question, and Caleb continued to watch outside trying to ignore the urge to go outside and beat something to a pulp.

"Dude, I doubt even you could sleep that long!" Dean joked, trying to break the tension in the room. When he saw his little brother look at him questioningly he shook his head. "Dad's here to help us get to the cabin, remember?"

A smile broke out on Sam's face before his eyes closed and he fell asleep once again.

Looking at his father, Dean's expression changed as he demanded, "We need to talk."

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Cara could not believe her luck, if she was a superstitious person she would have thought that something was trying to keep her from her rightful revenge; but since she wasn't, she regarded the delays as nuisances that she had to overcome. It had been bad enough she had to wait for a rental to get checked in and cleaned up before she could head out, but then she had encountered a roadblock due to a 'routine license checkpoint'. It had taken another hour to get back out on the road with as many people were blocking the road, and by then she wasn't in a very patient mood when the tire had a blow out at two in the morning.

Now though, she was back on track and knew that she'd be at the Olympia National Park in time for it to open, then her fun would begin. She had spent most of the drive in utter silence, knowing that even the radio on low would distract her from going over her plans for young Sammy. Originally she thought she would just take him away from his family and then let them find his cold rotting corpse someplace. Then she thought about stalking the boy and his father until one of them cracked, then she could watch while the family disintegrated into dust. The idea of shooting him in front of John definitely had appeal, except that she knew it would be too quick, and she wanted the Winchester patriarch to suffer like she was. Then it hit her, the perfect plan; take Sammy, keep him hidden while convincing him that his family had abandoned him, then slowly drive him to the point of begging her to kill him… all while sending the hunter periodic video of her progress. Yes, she thought it was perfect; so many different elements put together to fit into her plan. Sighing, she smiled before reaching over and turning the radio on, finally finding a station that didn't grate on her nerves too badly.

"Soon, it'll all be over soon."

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John and Dean were outside away from the doors and windows of the room so they wouldn't disturb the youngest member of their family. As John watched his eldest pace back and forth, he was sure he knew what he was in for; then he understood that thinking is highly overrated.

"He thinks that we're going to leave him behind again. He's so convinced of it, we drove for God knows how long with him in pain because he didn't want to be a bother. You broke this, you had damn well better fix it otherwise you won't have to worry about him anymore." Dean said; facing the man he had looked up to his whole life.

"That's the second time you've threatened me with that…"

"It's no threat Dad. You either come through, or we're gone." Dean promised, making sure that his father understood how serious he was. "You still don't get it… he was risking his health to make sure you knew that he wasn't some pathetic loser that you'd convinced himself that he was. Have you even looked at him? Have you noticed how little there is of him now? You want to know what's even scarier… he's not done! According to the prescription notes, he still has another week on those meds and I have no idea how much will be left of him after that. So don't stand there and think that I'm joking… you made this mess, and for once you're going to clean it up."

He watched Dean march back into the room and knew his son was right, Sammy looked awful and it was directly attributable to his attitude. He couldn't understand why he hadn't seen the signs for what they were, his boy being ill and not lazy. As he pulled his phone out of his pocket, he prayed the doc was in and could help without actually having to see Sammy; that was the last thing his boy needed, another trek across the U.S. He was pleased to hear the familiar voice over the other end, but dreaded to tell the man what was going on. Plunging headlong, he explained what was going on and answered the questions to the best of his ability before he blanched at the doctor's suspicions and rushed into the motel.

"Dean, we need to get Sammy to the hospital, now!" he bellowed, not bothering to share the information, he just picked his boy up and ran back out the door.

As soon as he heard the word 'hospital' he knew it was bad and quickly gathered up the bag with all Sammy's meds before joining his dad and Sammy in the Impala. He knew the others would follow, it wasn't a concern, but right now the expression on his dad's face was.

"Dad?" he asked, hoping that for once he wouldn't have to guess at the problem.

"I spoke to the doctor who prescribed those drugs, he said that with the fever that Sammy has…it's possible that he's contracted a blood infection." John said while focusing solely on the road.

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Joshua kept up with the Impala while trying not to think about the last time they all were in the hospital waiting for news about Sam. It was so easy to think of him and his brother as a lot older than what they were since they both were so involved in hunting, but something like this reminded them all that Sam was still a boy; a twelve year old boy who never really had a chance to live like other kids, and Dean was just as bad growing into an adult before his time. Shaking himself out of his musings, he noticed they had reached the hospital already and sent a prayer upwards that this was just a false alarm because he really didn't think the kid could handle much more.

As they sped down the road following the sleek black car in front of them, Bobby wished things were different. No child should have to worry about not being cared for, especially a kid like Sam. Everyone knew that John was hard on both his boys, but for whatever reason he seemed to have higher expectations of his youngest; always wanting the boy to be just like his big brother and if he wasn't then he wasn't living up to his old man's expectations. The first time that he laid eyes on Dean and Sam he worried about them, something about them tugged at your heart, even an old hardened one like his. The first time that he's seen John get upset with the boys for an honest mistake, he'd been upset but had let it go after reminding himself that it wasn't his place. The first time that he'd heard the eldest Winchester yell at Sam because the kid had an honest to God question about a hunt they were about to embark on, he had to wonder just what was going on, but let it slide as well. This time there wouldn't be any backing off, this time was serious and if John couldn't pull his head out of his ass long enough to see that, then he'd be more than willing to help.

Caleb was silent the trip to the hospital, he knew that it was serious and there was nothing any of them could do but wait. He'd got a good look at the kid and knew that whatever good the medicine had been doing for him, the length of time before he had gotten treated had surely done more damage than they thought. It had only been a couple or three days since he'd last seen Sam, but the kid was already half the size he was from before, making him realize that the illness he'd gone through had actually been wasting the kid away before their very eyes and no one could tell. The thought sickened him that such a good boy like Sammy had been suffering and no one took the time to make sure he was well. He couldn't blame Jim, he was only one man who could only do as much as John would allow, but there had been signs that had been missed and now the kid was possibly fighting for his life again. 'God kid, can't you ever get a break?' he thought as they all rushed into the Emergency entrance and listened to John bellow, sending personnel scrambling.

"Dr. Zallow sent us!" John yelled, knowing that the doctor had already called ahead. What he hadn't expected was the rush of activity that suddenly occurred after he said those words, nor the feeling of loss at suddenly Sammy was taken from him and rushed on a gurney behind the swinging doors.

Dean stood watching the doorway close behind the crowd that was rushing his baby brother away and all he could think of was how Sammy hadn't even gotten the chance to go to the bathroom yet. It was an odd thought that he'd never have considered before but with everything else in chaos around him it had been the only one that seemed to stick for more than a brief millisecond. He felt the others gather around him and he knew that he wasn't alone in his grief, but he didn't care; it was his brother, his Sammy, that was now out of sight in questionable condition and to him that was totally unacceptable.


	20. Chapter 20

It had been over three hours and no one had come to tell them how Sammy was, their requests for information sidestepped with 'the doctor will see you as soon as possible.' The hunters were no longer patiently waiting in the hard plastic chairs; they were now pacing around like caged animals and snarling at anyone who dared to approach them who didn't have news on the youngest member of their tribe.

By the time an elderly man by the name of Dr. Jonas walked into the waiting area, the only occupants were the hunters. Seeing the look on their faces make the older man wonder just what type of people the young man he'd been tending, associated with. "I'm looking for the family of Sam Mitchell." He said kindly, hoping that at least some of these men weren't involved. When he heard the unanimous 'here' from the group, he knew that some days Lady Luck just wasn't with him. "Dr. Zallow and I have already conferred on the test results and I must say that the young man you brought in is very lucky to be alive. Having gotten that out of the way, he's asleep at the moment with the help of a moderate sedative, we've started him on IV antibiotics as well as a unit of blood to help his body gain some of its normal strength. He does have an infection, but not what was initially thought; I'm afraid that he contracted a Staph infection and I must confess that I'm concerned with his current health that he's going to have a much tougher time with it than others his age."

John felt as if his legs had suddenly weakened and he knew that was mainly due to the knowledge that his baby boy was back in critical condition, and again there was nothing he could do about it. Looking at Dean, he could see that his son was fighting to keep some sense of control about him, but it wouldn't take much for that wall to crumble.

"Can we see him?" Joshua asked, praying that the kid wasn't in ICU again.

Nodding, Dr. Jonas motioned for them to follow as he began giving instructions. "Everyone will need to wash your hands thoroughly before and after entering the room. Protective gowns and gloves need to be worn as well, for both your and his well being. Right now he's fighting this, but he doesn't need to contract anything else while he's in here and most infections are transmitted by skin to skin contact." As he looked around he saw that each man was already taking off their jackets and rolling up their sleeves in anticipation to scrubbing up. Whatever he had initially thought about the rag tag group changed in that instance, replaced by respect; he now knew that no one would be allowed to risk the health of the young man inside the next room.

"Uh, how did he get it?" Dean asked, worried that the surgery Sammy had to save his life had endangered him further.

Sighing, the doctor was both impressed and depressed that the subject came up. Knowing that there was no other way to say it, he stayed with the straight forward approach. "Dr. Zallow and I agree that the most likely culprit was the catheter Sam had after his operation. We suspect that it had been contaminated somehow during surgery or immediately afterwards when it was changed."

The silence that took hold of the small group was thick, with each one pondering how something like that could happen. Finally, Bobby broke the silence before turning to the sink. "Well, just make sure nothing like that happens this time, doc."

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Cara knew that she was early, but that was fine for the moment, she had been on the road for too long and had suddenly found her appetite now that her objective was within her grasp. After pulling into a small diner she was happily getting out of the car to go inside when she had a horrible thought; what if her vision was wrong? What if they weren't at the park after all but someplace else altogether?

After taking a deep breath, she shook her head to clear her mind of her doubts and walked into the diner full of early morning hikers getting ready to start their day. Finding a table towards the back, she was confident that she could list out what she had seen and figure out if she was on the right track. After all, it wouldn't do her any good to spend all that time only to find out they had never left Illinois, right?

Glancing at the menu, she decided on the Blueberry wheat pancakes and quickly dismissed the waitress, Nanci something, so she could get back down to business. Pulling out a pen she started writing everything she could remember on a paper napkin until she was confident that she hadn't missed anything. Smiling, she knew that she was on the right track, no matter if she hadn't been able to get hold of Alex to confirm their location.

As she leaned back against her booth she could feel the tension in her body lessen until she started to drift in to a state of semi awareness.

Nanci didn't like her new customer; there was just something about her that made her skin crawl. Not wanting to be around the woman any longer than necessary, she quickly slid her order onto the table and walked away happy to get away from the strange woman in the booth.

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Dean made sure he was the first one in the room; there was no way anyone else was going to beat him to making sure that his little brother was still with them. As soon as he made it to the side of the bed he let out the breath he hadn't been aware of holding, and smiled at the sight of Sammy breathing on his own, no ventilator in sight. Reaching over he felt his brother's forehead and cringed at the heat he still felt through the gloves, and wished that they weren't necessary. "Hey Sammy, don't worry, we're here and you're going to be fine." He whispered as he continued to watch the rhythmic breathing and felt that it was the most wonderful thing he'd seen in a long time.

As John stood in the doorway he was hesitant to join his son, there was still so much that he needed to make up for and until he'd done that he didn't feel as if he deserved the comfort in knowing that Sammy was still with them; still fighting as he always did. Before he could back out of the room however, he felt the push of large hands on his back as he was pushed forward, leaving him no option but face his fear.

"Get a move on Winchester," Joshua said, "the rest of us want to see the boy too."

Moving to the other side of the bed, John investigated everything that was near and attached to his youngest son. The nasal canula was obviously to help make sure he had enough oxygen, the IV was feeding him the additional blood and medicine he needed, the small clip on his finger monitored his oxygen levels, while the most shocking of the equipment was the heart monitor beeping out the rhythm of his baby's life, making him even more aware of the precariousness of his boy's situation.

"It's only a precaution." Dr. Jonas said as he walked into the room. "It will help us see if he goes into any type of distress in between his vital's checks."

Nodding, the men in the room watched as the doctor looked everything over and made sure his young patient was resting comfortably. They tried to gauge the older man's expression, only to let out a collective sigh when they saw a smile emerge on his face.

"He's resting comfortably, and I don't see any sign that his fever has risen. We'll continue with this medicine and run more tests in awhile."

As Bobby, Caleb and Joshua took their turns checking Sam over, John was already making plans that didn't include him sitting there waiting for a crazy woman to skulk around until she found them with their pants down. He knew it wouldn't be a popular decision, but he needed to make sure that she didn't get her claws in Sammy especially as sick as he was. Suddenly he was thankful that it had taken Dean so long to get his little brother there, if they had been at the cabin, there would have been no way for them to get help.

Dean took only a moment to look at his dad and immediately caught on to what was going on with the man; he was getting ready to leave. Sammy was sick again because of something that he couldn't help, and their old man was going to take off again. What really disturbed him though was he wasn't angry; he should be, but he wasn't. It had always been him and Sammy, and yes, there had been more than one occasion that he resented it, but now he wouldn't have it any other way. The more his dad was around, the more tense it got since there was only one person that Sammy seemed to trust more than anything or anyone…him. Feeling more than a little benevolent, Dean decided to give his father an out; maybe then they could put everything behind them and move on.

"Dad, she's still out there, we can't let her get to Sammy." He said quietly, hoping not to disturb his resting sibling.

John looked at Dean and understood; it was more than a comment, it was absolution. As long as he didn't fail in this one task he could he still had his sons, if he failed… "I know son, I just wanted to make sure Sammy was settled before I headed out. You'll call if…"

"We're fine Dad… go." Dean murmured flatly not caring about anything except how to keep his brother safe and well.

Nodding, John left the room and was in the middle of washing his hands when he felt the presence of the others join him. "Don't say anything, its better this way."


	21. Chapter 21

AN: Sorry that it's a short update, I wanted to get it posted before anything else came up. Hope you enjoy!

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For all of John's great confidence about finding Cara and removing her as a threat, he had no idea where to start. He was fairly confident that she had 'read' the boys location from him, but what if he was wrong; they could end up wasting their time and in effect make Sammy a bigger target later. Lost in thought, he didn't notice where they were until they stopped at the diner he'd noticed on the way to the motel. Looking over at Joshua with a questioning gaze he was surprised to hear a voice from the back quip at him.

"Just because you're a damn robot John doesn't mean the rest of us can go without something in our stomachs." Bobby said with a smirk while opening the door and making his way out into the morning air.

Caleb smiled before joining the older man. Something told him it was going to be a morning to remember, after all it wasn't everyday that someone was able to strike the big bad John Winchester speechless. As he looked around something hit him and he shook his head in amazement. "So Johnnyboy, has it occurred to you yet that your boys made it half way across the country by themselves, with no back up of any kind, while Sammy was sick as a dog?" he asked before he turned to the others, "Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm damn impressed. Makes me damn proud of them, especially the little guy."

Bobby knew exactly what Caleb was saying. It was one thing to travel a long distance while well, but add to it the injuries that Sammy had been trying hard to get over and it had amazed him that the kid hadn't just curled up on himself and gave up before getting half way there. Of course he knew that it wasn't the youngest Winchester's nature to give up – ever! The kid didn't know how to, and that both filled him with pride, and scared the crap out of him.

"You guys aren't going to believe this." Joshua began as he joined them in front of the explorer. "Cara used her card again. Not only that, but you'll never guess where." He said as he slowly turned towards the diner.

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Dean was worried, and for once didn't mind showing it. He knew the doctor had given his little brother something to help him sleep, but he was certain it would have worn off by now. Instead Sammy slept on and Dean couldn't seem to control that tendril of fear that possibly they had been getting off easy, and in all actuality they were about to begin another battle for his brother's life.

The sound of the door opening wasn't a concern since it was time for the nurse to check on his little brother. The staff had been amazingly understanding about him staying there by Sammy's side, and even made a point in making sure he had something to eat and drink while he was there. Seeing that it was indeed the nurse instead of the doctor, Dean smiled and waited for her to let him know what he already suspected.

"He's doing the same, which is good; he's not getting worse." Sally Jennings told the young man before her. She's been a nurse for ten years and the only cases that still got to her were the young patients that too often succumbed to their illnesses. "So, where's your father and uncles?" she asked, knowing that no one had seen them since earlier in the day.

"They had some errands to run to make sure we had everything ready for when Sammy comes home. They should be back in awhile." Dean said carefully. In all actuality he had no idea when they'd be back, or even if they'd return before they found that crazy chick. Now wasn't the time though to fill the lady in on his family's oddities, they were looking at him odd enough with the salt at the windows and around his brother's bed.

Nodding, Sally smiled, "Of course, you were traveling when his condition worsened. Poor boy, hopefully when he wakes he'll feel better and you all can enjoy the rest of your vacation."

Dean waited until the woman walked back out of the room and he heard the water running before he scoffed. "Vacation, yeah… right!" It hadn't taken him long in his life to realize that what other people do for fun wasn't for them. While family's often jumped in the car and rushed to the nearest amusement park, his family jumped in the car and rushed to the nearest haunted house. When people talked about holiday traditions, he and Sammy both would laugh knowing that those people didn't have a clue about the real story behind those traditions and if they ever did, it would throw their whole sense of self into a tailspin faster than Casper could say 'friendly'. Reaching over to his brother, Dean bent down and whispered, "Come on buddy, you have to fight this. If for no other reason than to save me from a normal and nice nurse that's determined to make sure I fit in!" he said in mock horror, even though that very idea of him fitting in anywhere close to suburbia made him cringe in disgust.

"Dean?" whispered Sam, too tired to open his eyes.

"Hey buddy! I'm so glad to hear your voice kiddo!" Dean told his brother as he brushed the bangs away from his eyes. "How you feeling?"

Sam knew he needed to answer, but it was so hard to pull the words together to describe just how bad he felt. Finally though a solution slowly filtered through his brain and he answered slowly. "Road… kill…"

Dean laughed, he couldn't help himself. After everything his little brother had been through the last couple of months, and how after everything seemed to pile up, 'roadkill' was probably the best way to describe what he was sure was an accurate description. Before he could answer though, Sammy had drifted back to sleep and Dean didn't have the heart to disturb him. "That's it Sammy, go back to sleep… big brother's got your back."

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John had no idea what to think about the waitress in front of them, but he knew one thing; she knew more than she was letting on. Wanting answers but knowing that his patience was wearing thin, he took a step back and allowed Caleb the opportunity to get what they needed.

"Look, I already told you… I don't know what you're talking about. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other customers."

"Nanci wait!" Caleb said, practically begging the woman in front of him to wait and listen. "This woman is after John's boys and she won't stop until she finds them."

Nanci looked at the men in front of her and wondered what the real story was. Too many times she'd seen someone run from an abusive spouse and get backed into a corner because a well meaning person gave the wrong people information. She didn't like the look of the dark haired man mainly because he looked more like a predator than a father, but the others looked well and truly concerned about the boys they were talking about. Finally she rolled her eyes and held out her hand.

It took them all a moment to figure out what she wanted, but once they had all four men produced pictures of Sammy and Dean together. Each picture was different, and all were in different forms of disrepair, but it was obvious that these men cared for the ones in the picture. As they watched the waitress reach out to take one of the photos, they all hoped that this would be what got through to her, because none of them knew if they could stand a wild goose chase at this point.

"Oh my… you're these boys' daddy? Well why the hell didn't you say so? Damn man, give a girl a heart attack why don't you?" Nanci ranted, all the while trying to remember everything about that strange woman she could think of. "How's that boy doing? His brother was trying to keep the kid awake long enough to finish their smoothies, but the kid was just too pooped to pop, you know?"

The hunters looked at each other then back at the waitress before asking, "Smoothies?"

"Yeah, you know… fruit, ice, blend it all together. Oh for… look, the kid had obviously been sick for a long time, there was no way I was even going to offer him something solid just for his stomach to protest. He needed something healthy and filling and I gave it to him. His brother tried to eat the special last night, and let me tell you… it ain't all that special you know, so I gave him the rest of it. They seemed to like it, and they went to the motel down the road." Nanci said still looking at the picture of the two happy, healthy boys.

Caleb could kiss the woman, but knew she had more information to give. "Nanci, this is very important. The woman that was in here; did she do or say anything strange or…"

"That woman _was_ strange, I couldn't stand being around her and was thankful she left. As far as doing anything… well, I wouldn't call it strange, but… hold on…" she said as she quickly walked across the diner and reached under the counter. As she walked back she started talking again, giving the hunters more of an idea of what they were dealing with. "She wrote this on a napkin, I didn't think too much about it except it mentioned a couple of boys on it and I couldn't help but compare it to your boys, you know? Anyhow, this is it, whatever has a bee in her bonnet is on this napkin; I hope it helps."

As they glanced at the piece of paper, it answered so many questions that Caleb did the first thing that popped in his head; he rushed over and pulled her into a hug giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you so much Sweetheart, you have no idea what a help you've been." He said as he rushed out the door in the other men's wake, leaving a very stunned Nanci behind.


	22. Chapter 22

AN: Thanks to everyone who's been reading my stories, I really appreciate the encouragement and enthusiasm you all have given me. Hope you like this chapter, let me know!

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John couldn't get over what he and the others had seen on the napkin, it had her whole vision while she read him on it, and it was wrong! How she had managed to get so many things twisted he wasn't sure but he was thankful that she hadn't figured it out. When he and the boys visited the park the last time they had taken the South entrance, and left the same way; he had been alone when he had gone back to make sure the area was quiet, and he had to take a maintenance road on the East side. He knew the boys knew nothing about it which meant Cara was heading into the park from a secondary path giving them an advantage they weren't counting on. In fact there were a couple of things that stood out for him including the fact that she had no actual destination in mind; she had no idea about the cabin or that the boys would be there.

Sitting in the motel room, the hunters started to pull together a plan to corner and hopefully neutralize Cara without resorting to actual murder. The only problem though was what they were going to do with her after they caught her. It was clear that she was unstable, and they were sure that once she actually started talking she'd be locked away for quite awhile, the problem was getting her to talk about what she knew and had done.

"Alright, if she goes onto the access road, we should be able to track her in the woods. She doesn't mention which direction she was going to go, so she's probably hoping to pick up their trail. Now we just need to figure out if she's going to try to stay there while she figures out her next move." Caleb said as he studied the map in front of him. He knew that Joshua was more than just a little anxious to leave, but they couldn't afford to mess this up. As he looked closely, he could tell that they had a lot of ground to cover, which meant she had a lot of places to hide. He could only hope that they found her quickly before she had time to realize that she was in the wrong place.

Joshua hated waiting and knew that John had to be going out of his mind at the moment. He knew they needed to make sure they had everything, but at the moment it felt like a colossal waste of time to sit there and plan their next move. Right now Cara was snooping around trying to find any signs of the boys and he couldn't help but wonder how long it was going to take her to realize that she was wrong. Taking a deep breathe, he continued to watch out the window in hopes that some great inspiration would come to him, unfortunately nothing did which left him in a grumpier mood than he was in to begin with. "Alright, enough's enough, if we're going to do this then we need to get going. It's only a matter of time before…"

"We know Josh, just hold on a second." Bobby grumbled as he zipped up the last bag. He didn't know how long they were going to be in the forest, but he knew that he didn't want to be unprepared. "Let's go to the entrance and see if we pick up her trail. If we don't then we know that something's wrong and we can deal with it. John, you ready?"

Nodding, John led the group out of the room and prayed they weren't too late. If Cara suddenly realized that she was in the wrong area then it wouldn't be long before she tried to find Sammy by other means, and that could lead her right to him.

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Dean hated to admit how tired he was but he also knew that he wasn't fooling anyone. The doctors and nurses who came by kept insisting that he leave and rest up, but he managed to put them off a little longer. Finally though the ultimatum was made that either he get some sleep, or they would bar him from his brother. At first he thought they were joking, then the realization that they were serious actually filtered into his brain only to be overwhelmed by the surge of anger he suddenly felt at those trying to intimidate him and using his very ill brother to do it. He finally agreed to sleep only if they would leave him and Sammy alone for two hours, no one walking into the room unless it was an emergency, he wanted to be fully aware of what treatments his brother was receiving and he couldn't do that while being unaware of what was going on around him. What the doctor didn't know though was Dean had already planned ahead and after watching the staff leave he rigged the doorway to let him know as loudly as possible that someone was there.

"Alone at last little brother." He said to the still sleeping Sammy as he made enough room on the bed for himself. Although he was sure he would have woke if anyone walked in, he wanted to make sure he knew of any discomfort Sammy might have in his sleep, so he climbed onto the bed and situated himself and his little brother so he would be better able to protect them if the need arose.

Nestling Sammy's head onto his shoulder he knew he had the right idea when Sammy sighed and relaxed more into his side leaving Dean to smile and drift into a light but much needed sleep.

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Driving the SUV as far as the access road could take them took a bit of time, but after seeing the rental car, the hunters knew they made the right decision; Cara was close by, they just knew it; the problem was, if they knew it then most likely she did too.

Bobby tossed a bag to Joshua, John and Caleb before grabbing the last one himself. As they fanned out to pick up her trail they couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement as they felt themselves get closer to their target. The trail at first was easy to spot but as they continued on they saw that it was getting harder to tell which direction she was really heading. Taking a moment to regroup and regain their focus, they traced out on the map where they were and how they got there. After taking a second look it was painfully obvious that Cara had doubled back. Now they had to rush back to see if they could catch her before she took off again.

Finally reaching the clearing, the hunters saw the slashed tires and cursed Cara into the next life promising to find her and exorcise her in the most painfully way they could find. Making sure they had everything that would trace the car back to them, they made their way back where they came from, hoping to find someway to let Dean know in time that they were no longer safe.

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Dean had taken up post in the bed next to his little brother mainly so he'd know if there were any problems brewing. The doctor had come and gone again mentioning that Sammy needed as much rest as possible, giving Dean a wary look before saying something to the nurse. Not wanting things to seem too awkward he quickly explained that his brother suffered from nightmares which only got worse when sick. It took a few minutes, but finally both doctor and nurse were satisfied that nothing inappropriate was really going on and left them alone to get some more sleep.

After a few hours Dean woke again feeling almost human but still alert enough to know that something had changed. Looking around he didn't see anything unusual but then he focused more on the sounds and picked out the low voices in the hallway. What he heard froze him to the core.

"I understand, but what if she's right, what if he's actually her son; she had the right…"

"Not until we can confirm this. All we have right now is her version and he's not stable enough for any excitement right now."

The rest of the conversation was moved further down the hall until Dean couldn't hear them anymore, but what he had heard was more than enough to throw him into full protective mode. "I'll be right back Sammy, don't go anywhere." He said quietly, checking to make sure his brother was still sleeping.

Quietly moving towards the nurse's station, he saw his brother's nurse from earlier and watched her as she mumbled to herself. "Uh hi, I know you're busy, but I was hoping you could answer some questions for me?" he asked trying to portray the trustworthy look that Sammy patented. After asking a series of questions, he understood which antibiotics his brother was still on as well as the other medications that had been continued as well as the ones that had been changed. Nodding, he thanked the nurse and made his way back to the room already forming a plan in his head.

'Definitely time to go.' He thought as he watched the people make their way through the halls.


	23. Chapter 23

AN: Hope you all like this one... don't forget to let me know... oh... and don't shoot me

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Cara couldn't find the Winchester boys' trail, but she knew that didn't necessarily mean anything; she could have confused entrances, or they hadn't gotten there yet. She knew that either Alex had lost them, or hadn't found a way to contact her yet, so she was content in the knowledge that she would find them herself soon.

As she arrived to her car she noticed that she was no longer alone. Quickly consumed by an anger that she did not understand, she pulled her knife out of her boot and viciously slashed the tires of the small SUV. Taking a moment to step back and admire her handiwork, she felt intense satisfaction at what she'd done, making her wonder what it was about that particular vehicle that made her want to release her rage. Shrugging her shoulders she got into her car to return to the diner she had eaten at earlier.

"I wonder what there special is today." She mused happily, feeling as if she were actually closer to her prey than she initially realized and wanted to take an extra moment to enjoy the feeling.

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Dean knew that it was going to be close. The doctor had already come around to check on his little brother and the nurse was due in less than fifteen minutes to take vitals and make sure they didn't need anything before she'd go off and tend to others on the floor. As soon as he had heard the doctor and nurse earlier, he'd been scoping out the place and casually gathering things that they'd need later on.

As he looked at the bed, he dreaded having to pull Sammy out of the hospital while he was still so ill, but it had to be done. He had no idea when social services would be there and he didn't want to take the chance of his family being torn apart while his dad was trying to find the crazy woman who was so intent on hurting his little brother. He glanced at the equipment that surrounded the bed and knew what each thing did, which would have been an odd thing to know if you hadn't spent so much time in a hospital room for either yourself or those you love. Now though he was trying to figure out how he was going to be able move the kid without waking him up.

"Hello Dean, I'm just here to check on Sam. How about you, are you doing alright?" the nurse asked, trying hard not to get attached to the boy on the bed, but it was so hard considering what he'd already been through.

Smiling, Dean shrugged, "Hey Kelly, I'm fine… the question is, how's my little brother?" He hoped she didn't pick up on the strain in his voice, the undercurrent of worry that was present to the point that he really wished that he hadn't opened his mouth.

After checking Sam's blood pressure and temperature she smiled. "Good news, he's doing better. Now I'm not saying he's ready for any marathons, but his blood pressure is staying steady and his temperature is starting to drop. With that and the continued urine output, I'd say he's definitely on the mend."

Feeling as if one weight had been lifted while a different one had been added, Dean smiled and watched her leave the room. Opening the bathroom door, he pulled out a wheelchair and positioned it close to the bed.

"Sammy, I hope you're really doing as well as she's saying, 'cause where we're going if you have a relapse then we're both screwed." He said as he unhooked his brother from the IV and Foley bag before gingerly picking him up and setting him into the chair.

"Dean…" Sam sleepily asked, trying to open his eyes but only succeeding in making them slits.

'Damn… can't I get some help here?' he wondered, as he finished positioning Sammy in the chair. Taking a deep breathe he quickly laid out the plan. "Sammy don't panic but we have to get out of here fast, ok? I know for a fact that Kelly is on the other side of the floor and the doctor has already been and gone. I'm going to roll you out to the small park they have in case anyone asks, but I already have the Impala parked out back."

Sam had no idea what his brother was talking about, but sometimes it didn't matter; this was Dean and he wouldn't let anything bad happen. "Ok Dean…" he said, content to sit still and pretend they were going on a short jaunt around the hospital instead of pulling off a break out under everyone's noses.

Dean knew that Sammy had no idea what was going on at the moment, mostly due to the combination of the medicines they still had him on, but that didn't deter him from grabbing the backpack they'd come with that was several items heavier and strolling out the door refusing to look back to see if anyone was looking.

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There were some days it didn't pay to be a hunter of the supernatural; and other days that it did. Today proved exactly why the later was true as each man took their meager possessions out of the Explorer and started walking towards the road to get back to a more populated area. Joshua knew that once they were able they could find other appropriate transportation and he didn't worry about the abandoned vehicle being traced back to his friends. As they walked along though their thoughts slowly shifted from ones of anger towards Cara to more concern about how Sammy was doing and if there would ever be a time when the kid would be able to get the rest he really needed to get better.

Bobby had been mulling things over and couldn't help but wonder about a few things. "So John, when she touched you she was able to alter your memories right?" he asked, trying to put a name to the unease he felt. He saw his friend nod grudgingly and the other look at him with curiosity, nodding he asked, "and she was able to get some information from you as well while she did it, but it wasn't the right information." Seeing another nod he thought a moment more before he stopped suddenly. "John, you have to get back to the boys, you can't be in on this hunt."

"What? What are you talking about Bobby? I'm their father and I'll be damned if someone's going to tell me that I can't hunt down the bitch that's after them!?" John yelled, advancing on Bobby fully intent on teaching the man a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

"John listen to me, we don't know where the boys would go if they went to the park – we've never been there. Once we caught up to her she could easily do a repeat performance on you and then she'd have everything she needed to get even closer to Sammy. You know we can't risk it." Bobby insisted, knowing that it would take a small miracle to convince the man in front of him, but also knowing that he had to try.

Caleb and Joshua listened to Bobby and knew that what he was saying was right, but that wasn't helping the matter any. Right now John was in full Papa Bear mode and there wouldn't be anything to divert him from seeking Cara out and killing her if need be. Neither knew if they should step in or out of this confrontation, but they also knew that she was getting away from them and possibly closer to the boys with every second.

"Hey you two, cool it! We need to make sure Sammy's ok before we decide anything. Once we know he's still safe and sound in his hospital bed then it'll give us all a chance to clear our heads and think of why Cara isn't here like she was planning." Caleb said sending a new wave of concern through the hunters.

Nodding in agreement, Joshua pulled out his phone and called the nurses desk where Sammy was and identified himself as the boy's uncle, after getting the information the nurse was hesitant to tell him, he quickly cut the call and looked at the others. "They're not there. The nurse checked on Sammy then left for twenty minutes before going back to see if Dean would eat something if she ordered it for him; when she got back, they were gone. The cops have been there and the consensus is that Dean took his brother out of the hospital for some unknown reason."

John felt as if someone had sucker punched him, his boys were supposed to be safe while his youngest was healing; now he had no idea what had happened and it froze him to the core of his being when his next thought flashed through his brain. If Cara had somehow seen something new then it could be possible she knew Sammy was a sitting duck.

Looking at his friends, he knew they were thinking the same thing and although it didn't help in finding his sons, it did make him feel better that he wasn't alone. Pushing themselves faster, they hurried towards the road, fully intending to flag down a police officer if they had to in order to get back to the motel; it was the first place they were planning on looking.

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Dean knew that they needed to get away from the hospital as quickly as possible, but the question was should they ditch the Impala before heading into the park. He knew that his dad would find the car no matter where he left it, but that was part of the problem – so could everyone else; he didn't want to give anyone a heads up where they were. Then again, he didn't think making even a quick transfer would do his little brother any good.

Looking over to Sammy he knew that whatever progress he had made was quickly becoming in jeopardy. Sighing, he knew he needed to make a decision, and he needed to make one soon. "Hey Sammy, I need you to wake up for a minute." He said softly, hoping to ease his brother into wakefulness. Seeing his brother's eyes flutter, he smiled thinking about how years ago Sammy would fight sleep and even when his little brother would finally succumb to it, his eyes would still move around as if he was still fighting to see what was going on around him. Seeing his little brother now looking at him he smiled brighter. "Hey sleepyhead, we have a hike to go on and I need to know honestly how bad your feeling."

It took a moment for Sam to process what Dean was really asking, and another moment for him to pull his thoughts together to form an answer. "Uhhh, I don't know?" he said, not understanding why he couldn't pull himself together.

"Don't sweat it Sammy, I'm surprised you could actually answer the question at all with all the medication you've been taking lately." Dean joked, knowing that it wasn't really a funny situation, but didn't know how else to deal with it. Nodding, he motioned towards an area of the park. "We're here dude, lets figure out if you can at least shuffle more that a few feet or if I get to carry your scrawny ass all the way there."

Sam rolled his eyes and watched as his big brother got in the trunk then walk around the car and open the door. "Dean, you know you can…"

"Don't want to hear it little brother. Now come on, we need to at least make the appearance that we're just here for a few hours." Dean said while putting some of their provisions into the backpack. Pulling Sammy out of the car, he double checked that it was secure before helping his brother along. He knew where they were going, but it was going to be difficult to get there even without trying not to be seen. He hoped that they could at least get off the hiking path a ways before he had to carry Sammy, but the way it was looking, their luck was running out.

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They had checked the motel room and found nothing to show the boys had been there, leaving the hunter's unsure whether they should feel good about that or not. Feeling that the boys would go into the park, they hoped to catch up to Cara before she had a chance to figure out where they were.

Joshua's contact wasn't able to get anymore information on their prey, but that didn't mean the guy was going to stop trying. Bobby tried to figure out what the girl was planning in hopes to actually pinpoint where she would go once she got hold of Sammy. Caleb thought about everything that was going on and he couldn't get the idea out of his head that Bobby was right; John was a liability and it could cost them everything.

Walking over to the diner, they hoped to catch the waitress Nanci again in an effort to possibly get some more information. As they got closer to the door however something caught their eye making them stop in shock momentarily before being motivated into action. John and Bobby rushed forward to get quickly inside while Joshua and Caleb went around the back to stop any chance of escape. None of them were prepared for what happened instead of a simple interception, no one was prepared for the sight of true insanity straining to be unleashed.


	24. Chapter 24

AN: Hope you all like this one... don't forget to let me know!

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As the hunter's stood there taking in the situation, John couldn't help but see Sammy in the place of Nanci and it filled him with both a fear and rage that he could never remember having before. Cara stood in the middle of the diner with a knife at Nanci's throat and a gun in the woman's side, what froze the men though was the look of utter insanity that blazed in her eyes as she looked for a way out.

"Get out of my way, I have a job to do and you're not going to stop me from doing it!" Cara screamed at them, searching frantically for an escape route. Although she wasn't beyond killing a person if she needed to, she also knew that if the waitress was dead then she still wouldn't have a way out.

John shook his head and held out his hands in a passive position in the attempt to calm her down, all the while glancing at Nanci and trying to convey that they'd get her out of this mess. "Cara, it's me you want. Let Nanci go and you can have me instead." He said softly as he started his approach, only to stop suddenly when he saw the knife bite deeper in Nanci's neck.

"I don't want you John, I want you to suffer! Why don't you get that? You think that you can destroy people's lives and keep walking away from it as if it doesn't matter. Well it does!" Cara bit out. She wanted the youngest Winchester, and she didn't care how she had to go about it to get him. "Now, get out of the way!"

"We can't do that Cara." Bobby said sternly, looking to make sure Joshua and Caleb had the back way blocked. "You only think your getting justice for your brother, but if you do this, then you're going to make an innocent boy suffer, is that what you want?"

Cara laughed, high pitched and borderline hysterical before she spoke again. "You're kidding right? Little Sammy Winchester innocent? Are you really that ignorant of what he is, or have you all just decided that what you do doesn't pertain to him?" She saw the looks of confusion on their faces and laughed some more. "You really have no idea that he's been marked, that one day he's going to be summoned and it'll take more than what he has in him not to follow the call. You all are pathetic!"

John and Bobby looked at each other and both were thankful that the diner had cleared out when the excitement started. John knew that Bobby and Caleb knew about the children like Sammy, whose mother had been killed in a fire on the baby's six month birthday, but they hadn't felt the need to share that information with others since they had no idea what the actual purpose of that night had been. The question now was how did she know?

"Cara, why don't you leave Nanci out of this and we all can sit down and talk about it." Caleb told her as he walked slowly around the counter, trying to seem unthreatening, but also attempting to get into a better position.

Sighing, Cara rolled her eyes and spoke with a deadly calm that froze the hunters in their places. "I have a knife to her jugular; she'd bleed out in minutes. I have a full clip and know that I can take down at least two of you before she hit the ground, the other two would be a nuisance, but I'm sure I'd still be able to get myself out the door before you all gathered yourselves again. So, how about dear sweet Nanci and I go outside and leave the four of you to stay here and figure out your next move?"

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Dean was a thankful that he'd seen the narrow access road that lead further into the forest, it allowed him to pack Sammy back up and drive leaving them a lot less mileage to hike. He knew that his little brother was starting to become of aware of what was going on, but that to his pain returning too and that was something that Dean couldn't allow. Hoping his dad would forgive him for parking their baby off into the woods and then covering her with branches to help conceal the fact they were there, he helped Sammy to a nearby tree and get situated.

"Hey Sammy, you need to take your medicine, alright? We don't need that infection of yours to get out of hand." Dean said while trying to pull off a smile. As he watched his brother look around he wondered if he had made the biggest mistake of his life by bringing him out there.

Sam smirked at his brother, "Sure Dean and this walk in the woods is your attempt at Naturopathy, right?"

Feigning shock and hurt, Dean laid a hand across his chest, "Sammy, you wound me so!"

"Yeah right, so how about one of those granola things before you make me take that stuff. You know I won't feel like eating anything afterwards."

Looking at his little brother, Dean knew that the kid had a better grasp of what was going on than they had given him credit for, and that thought made him sadder than anything else; his Sammy had known all this time he was close to death, but didn't even make a whimper about it. Almost like he figured no one would care. 'God, how much can one family screw up at one time?' he thought sourly as he pulled one of Sammy's favorites out of the pack. "Here you go kiddo; I managed to hide the chewy kind that you like so much."

Gratefully, Sam ate as much as he could then handed the rest back to his brother for later. Seeing the disappointment in Dean's eyes, he tried to smile. "Don't worry, I'll be hungry later."

"Sure you will Sammy," Dean nodded, "otherwise I'll kick your ass." Looking around he knew they needed to get moving, they still had quite a hike ahead of them and he still wasn't convinced they'd get there today. "We got a lot closer than if we were on foot, and I'm pretty sure it's a straight shot to the West, but we still have to go up that last little bit. How far do you think you can go before I have to haul your scrawny ass?"

Sam looked around for a moment trying to gather his thoughts. He knew that Dean was worried, and as hard as he tried to keep his condition from him, somehow his big brother always knew how he was really doing. "I'll give it my best shot Dean, but honestly, I don't know, it's been too long since I've really done anything but lay there, you know?"

The past guilt that Dean had been trying to get rid of came back full force and made him once again look at what he and their father had done to their Sammy, and he didn't like what he saw. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm more concerned about you. If you feel like you can't make it, I'll carry you until we get there. We're a team, remember?" Dean saw the look of relief that fluttered across his little brother's face and knew then what part of the problem was. "Sammy, you don't have anything to prove to me. You're one of the toughest people I know and you sitting here breathing in front of me is more than enough proof of that. So how about we get started and when you're tired, we take a break?"

Nodding, Sam allowed Dean to help him up and they started across the forest floor with one thought on their mind, _'Get to the cabin and everything will be alright.'_

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Joshua knew that he could get a shot off, but he was more concerned about the reflex action that could cause Cara's gun to discharge and essentially shoot Nanci anyway, it wasn't a good feeling being between a rock and a hard place. It was bad enough that the crazy witch had a hostage who from what he could tell had been good to the boys, but now she was spouting off things that he was sure John really didn't want others to know. Thankfully it was just them in the diner at the moment, and if what Cara said was true he'd forgive John for not sharing the secret with him, if for no other reason than he'd probably done the same thing if the tables were turned.

Watching Cara pull Nanci closer towards the door he could tell she was testing John and Bobby's resolve, but something told him that she was playing for keeps and that left an innocent bystander literally in the crossfire. Looking at Caleb he raised his eyebrow in hopes the other hunter had some great plan to get them all out of this, but when no response came he understood that they were definitely in the middle of a stalemate. Letting out a low breath, he signaled Bobby to let her go. They had a better shot at tracking her than they did of keeping her from going homicidal.

Bobby saw Joshua and couldn't believe what the man wanted them to do. After everything that had happened, and he wanted to go soft and let the crazy bitch go? Groaning he gave a barely perceived nod, knowing that it wouldn't be a popular decision but one that needed to be done if for no other reason than for the woman who had obviously taken the boys under her wing while they were here. Grabbing John's arm he tightened his grip slightly and took a step back.

John couldn't believe what was going on. His friends were basically telling him to back off and the only thing he wanted more than to see Cara dead was to do it himself. He wanted to stand firm, not budge and make this insane woman come to him, come _for_ him, but suddenly he understood; she was standing fast in her belief that the best way to make him pay was to hurt one of his boys, and she was right. Relaxing his stance slightly he took a step back and held out his hands to show that it wasn't a trick of any kind.

Smiling, Cara nodded to the other hunters and proceeded slowly out the door with dear sweet Nanci along for the ride. She knew that there had been signals passed back and forth, but that didn't matter now, now she was able to leave and she knew she'd find Sammy soon. It wasn't a goal now, it was a part of her destiny; the man with yellow eyes said so.


	25. Chapter 25

AN: Ok... I hope you all like it... take care, see you soon!

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Dean knew that Sammy was tired but no matter how many times he suggested they rest, his little brother would just shake his head and they would continue on as if they were on a leisurely stroll instead of unsteadily stumbling through a forest. Looking over Sammy's appearance again, he knew that they were pushing it, but also knew that his brother had a point; they needed to get to the cabin soon. It hurt knowing that there was nothing that he could do to make his Sammy feel better at the moment, even the pain meds didn't seem to be doing as good of a job as before, but at least the fever that had ravaged the smaller body seemed to be letting up, giving Dean a sense of relief.

Looking around he knew they weren't going to reach their destination by nightfall, but he still hoped that they made enough progress that they could get there before lunch tomorrow. Of course if Sammy had his way, they'd continue walking through the night. He'd hoped that he had broken through the kid's insecurities, but it seemed that he had failed which only added to his worry for his brother. If he couldn't convince Sammy that there was no way he wasn't a part of the family then he was worried what that would do to his health. The medicines seemed to be working to keep the Staph infection at bay, but it was more the mental aspect that now concerned him. It was almost as if Sammy thought that in order for Dean to stay around then he had to prove that he wasn't a hindrance, which was complete and total crap but he hadn't been able to broach the subject and Sammy was determined not to be the reason why they didn't make it to the cabin before that crazy Cara chick found them again.

"Hey Sammy, how about we rest a few minutes?" he asked while pulling his little brother to the side and setting down the packs before turning his attention back to Sammy. "Look, I get that you want to hurry and get settled into the cabin, but Sammy, I gotta tell you, this isn't working." He could have kicked himself when he saw the flicker of fear flash across his brother's face. "No dufus, not like that, jeez… you're so concerned about holding us back that you've forgotten something more important." When he saw he had his brother's attention he finished his thought. "You're still sick Sammy, you almost died. I know that you know that, but you have to understand that your body isn't ready for what it normally can do. You need to rest more. Ok?"

Sam watched as his brother settled against a tree and knew that there would be no way of getting Dean to move until he was sure that he was rested enough. Sighing, he sat down on the forest floor and looked around. He had to admit the area was quiet except for the nature sounds that was heard through the trees, it was peaceful and that seemed to help him relax more than anything else. "I was doing over eight before I got sick." He said quietly, keeping his eyes averted towards the forest. When he looked back he saw the puzzled look on Dean's face. "Eight miles. Dad made us run five a day, I made myself run more. I thought if I could get up to ten then maybe he'd let me come back."

Shocked, Dean had no idea what to say. He knew that his little brother had continued to train, Pastor Jim had told him and their dad that, but he hadn't known just how far Sammy was willing to push himself just to be able to get their father's approval. Sighing, he shook his head and was just about to speak when Sammy interrupted and broke his heart all over again.

"I get it now though, I really do. I'll never be good enough, no matter how many miles I run, how many creatures I kill, or how many languages I know, I'll just be the extra Winchester that he has to drag along." Suddenly he started laughing softly. "I guess that's not true is it? Now he knows he doesn't have to drag me along anymore."

Dean sat there and watched his little brother fall apart in front of him. Not sure if he was about to make things worse or not, he wrapped Sammy into a hug and gently rocked him while whispering that he'd never leave him again, no matter what; all the while praying to a deity that he didn't believe in that he wasn't lying to his little brother.

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Nanci had seen a lot of weird people and had even been on the business end of a gun more times than she wanted to admit, but somehow this beat everything she'd ever faced in her life. It was bad enough that she knew those two brother's were in trouble, but now she hears a crazy woman talking about how that sweet sick boy was evil and how they all needed to do what needed to be done, and all she could think was 'why do I end up with the crazies?'.

Cara had pulled Nanci out of the diner and was ready to go to her car when she saw a Sheriff's cruiser skid to a stop in front of her, making her wish she had just killed everyone and been done with it. Watching the man behind the wheel rush out of his car and pull his weapon, Cara rolled her eyes before yelling. "Do you really think that's going to stop someone like me?"

Sheriff Stanford had no idea what to think except that maybe it was time to retire. He had started out the day with having to escort a social worker to the hospital to enforce a retraining order for one of the children there whose parents had openly admitted to abusing the boy but also insisted they weren't going to give him up. Then upon arriving, they walked right into a madhouse that involved a missing patient, a Sam Mitchell, who was still recovering from a kidney operation done in another state. Now he got a call that Nanci was in trouble at the diner and as far as he could see, he could honestly say that assessment was right on the money.

"Nanci, how you doing?" he called out, not wanting her to worry, but also knowing that whoever this person was, was completely out of her head.

Smiling, Nanci shook her head, "Oh you know baby, the usual. She ordered ham and eggs over easy; I gave her bacon with scrambled."

John couldn't believe what was going on. He and the others had just cleared the door when the Sherriff pulled up and now they seemed to be sharing a joke. He would have thought it was admirable if the situation wasn't so damn serious. Somehow he knew that if something happened to the waitress, his youngest would find out and then it would be disastrous. He felt Bobby's hand on his shoulder and he was pretty sure he understood that he needed to calm down.

Holding Nanci tighter, Cara wondered just what these people really thought was going to happen here. It wasn't as if they would really be able to kill her, the man in the shadows wouldn't let that happen, not until she brought Sammy to him. Smiling, she shoved Nanci roughly towards the Sheriff and took off across the parking lot knowing that the hunters would try to follow, but she'd make sure to lose them as soon as she entered the park. She knew her mistake now, she was thinking like a hunter when she should have just let herself go and allowed her senses take her to her target; she wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

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Listening to his brother's even breathing, Dean was both happy to know that Sammy was asleep and sad to know that he cried himself to that state of awareness. He'd known they were pushing it, but had wanted his little brother to know that he trusted him, but now it seemed that the plan had backfired and Dean could only hope that there wasn't any residual damage. Thinking over what Sammy had said Dean was torn between the loyalty he had for his dad and the love he had for his brother. On the one hand, their father had kept them safe from the things out there that people turned a blind eye to, but at the expense of being their dad. It was a hard thing to admit, but even though he admired their dad, he was also angry with him for the way he handled the whole situation. Sammy was the least lazy person he knew, in fact he was borderline compulsive to the point that it was scary at times at how much a neat freak Sammy was and what he would do to keep wherever they were leaving 'clean enough', and for their dad not to notice that something was wrong was just… well… wrong.

Suddenly it hit him. It wasn't that their dad hadn't noticed, he had just trusted that Dean would make sure everything was ok, and when nothing was said he made the assumption that it was just a moody teenage issue. Sammy had always been Dean's responsibility, but lately it had grown more so, but somehow he had failed to pick up on it thinking that their dad still had an idea of what was going on. Dad hadn't failed Sammy, _he_ had, and that's what hurt the most. _He_ was the one who told Sammy to listen to dad, even when he knew something was wrong. _He_ was the one who went along with the plan to leave Sammy even though deep down he knew it was the wrong thing to do. _He_ was the one that didn't insist on going back because he was still sure that dad knew what he was doing. All the while their dad was taking his cues from _him_ as to what the problem could be. How he could have missed that, he had no idea, but he was going to find a way to fix it.

Reaching into the pack, he pulled out an emergency blanket and wrapped it tightly around them. It would be enough to ward off the chill and hopefully help keep Sammy asleep a little longer, his little brother needed the rest and he wasn't going to fail him again.

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John and Bobby returned to the diner discouraged more now than ever. They had Cara in their sights all the way into the forest and then… nothing. It was almost as if someone took her right out of thin air. Searching for signs of what happened, they both knew that something supernatural just occurred and they needed to regroup if they were going to figure out what it was. Reaching the diner they saw Caleb and Joshua talking to Nanci and the Sheriff while drinking coffee and wondered if they managed to find out anything useful. Walking inside, neither were ready for what they heard.

"John, we think we know why Dean took Sammy out of the hospital, he thought children's service's was coming for them. The Sheriff here was there to help enforce a court order for another patient, but we think that Dean might have heard about it and made the wrong assumption." Joshua said while motioning for the men to sit down.

The new information actually made sense considering how quickly the boys had disappeared which gave him some comfort that Dean was as efficient as ever as Sammy's watchdog. That thought made him both sad and relieved; sad that he wasn't the father his boy's needed, but relieved that Dean had picked up the mantle and was there for his little brother. Looking at the waitress he was surprised to see her smiling.

"Don't worry, Steve here will help you find those boys." Nanci said before kissing the Sheriff on the cheek. "He was born and raised here and probably knows that park better than some of the Rangers posted there."

The Sheriff noticed the look the other men were giving each other and finally asked, "I take it you already know where they're going?"

Nodding, John wasn't sure how much to tell this man, but then again what did he have to lose. "Yeah, there's a cabin that me and the boys stayed in several years ago." He noticed the color drain out of the other man's face and wondered about it. "Something wrong?" he asked, looking at the others noting that they picked up on the reaction of the other man.

Nanci placed her hand on the Sheriff's shoulder, "Honey, you ok?"

Nodding, the man looked at her and then back to the men. "Let me guess, a little out of the way place that's tucked in between the rainforest and the forest, no one seems to know anything about it and it has enough stuff stocked for someone to stay for awhile?" he asked, his voice strained.

The hunters looked at John with unease and didn't know what to say when he hesitantly answered the question with a nod. Looking back at the Sheriff, they heard him let out a deep shaking breath before continuing.

"That place doesn't exist, not really anyway. I guess you could call it a ghost of sorts. There are records of it being there, when it was built and even about the man who lived there before the park was created, but no one looking for it has ever been able to find it even with an older map. Every couple of years though someone will say they saw it, but no one can ever prove it. It just seems to show up whenever it feels like it, or when someone is lost and needs it." The man said nervously knowing how crazy it sounded. Looking at Nanci he knew that she wanted him to tell it all. "My brother and I were camping and goofing around one weekend when we were teenagers, no big deal really until Nate got bit by a snake. We were in the middle of nowhere and tried to hike out of there but he was getting worse and we got turned around so I had no idea what to do or even exactly where we were. The next thing I know we stumble across this cabin and think it's the most beautiful sight. I managed to get him inside and set up on a bunk, even got some food down him before I left to get help. I realized where we were and knew it wouldn't take too long to get to a Ranger's Station as long as I hurried. When we got back, his pack was on the ground, but he and the cottage was gone."


	26. Chapter 26

AN: Although he'll never read it... this is for my wonderful husband - Happy Birthday!!

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John wasn't sure what to believe. He knew that he and the boys had stayed in the cabin for a couple of weeks and there hadn't been any sign of anything supernatural about it, but if the man in front of him was right then they shouldn't have found it in the first place. The questions just piled up making him worry that he sent his boys on a wild goose chase that could very well cost him his youngest son. Looking towards his friends and fellow hunters he saw the same concern and knew that they were on board to find the boys ASAP, now they just needed to figure out how far in the forest they'd gotten and hope to intercept them before anymore damage could be done to Sammy.

"We'll find them John." Bobby said confidently. They knew where they were heading and if they managed to get to that location first then they might be able to get an upper hand with Cara. Then again there were no guarantees that she wouldn't find the boys first. That last thought didn't give him any comfort, but he was determined not to worry about that one just yet, they were going to have their hands full keeping John from going off half cocked.

Nanci was worried about what she was hearing, mainly that those boys were out there with a crazy woman chasing them and the place they were heading just happens to be one that doesn't exist. Sighing, she hoped that her husband could help these men find those boys. She hadn't known them long, but there was something about them that tugged at her and she didn't want either of them to get hurt.

"Ok, we're going to need some supplies. The trails and access roads will only get us in there so far before we have to hike the rest of the way. I have to tell you though, from what Nanci said, the younger of the two looked completely wiped out when she saw him last; I don't think he'd be up to the journey." Steve said with complete honesty. He didn't want to seem harsh, but the truth needed to be told and he didn't believe in holding back.

Snorting, John looked at the others before answering, "Don't worry about my boys Sheriff, I know Dean and if he had to pack Sammy into his pack to get him there then that's what will happen."

Nodding, Steve decided to leave his normal comments about treacherous circumstances for some other time, he had a feeling that the man before him wouldn't listen to them anyway. "All right then, I suggest we grab some gear and get started. From what I've seen, the sooner we find your sons the better."

Bobby and Joshua looked at each other and had to agree to a point, but they knew they needed to find Cara before she found the boys.

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Dean woke to the sounds of birds chirping and a couple of deer walking close by and knew instantly that he'd messed up; while they were sleeping, Sammy missed at least one dose of his medicine and that was something he didn't want to take a chance with, he'd just started to make progress with his little brother's health, he didn't want anymore setbacks.

Looking around he could see the dark of the night lighten and knew that they would need to get moving soon otherwise they risked being stumbled upon by early morning hikers. The only problem was the fact that Sammy hadn't even stirred throughout the night and was still sleeping peacefully, a blessing if Dean had ever seen one. Rubbing his eyes with one hand he allowed himself the moment to contemplate what they would do once this whole fiasco was over. He couldn't see himself giving up the hunt for their mom's killer, but he couldn't see himself sacrificing his little brother along the way either. In a way it was a catch 22 situation; either they fought the good fight for as long as possible and hope they found out what happened that night, or allow Sammy some measure of peace for once in his life but sacrifice everything else. Oh he knew that his little brother would protest, after all it wasn't that Sammy didn't want to hunt, more like he saw and felt too much when he did. Not every hunter could look into the eyes of a werewolf and contemplate who it was before, but Sammy did; and it often tore a piece of him every time he had to send a creature, monster, or spirit on its way.

"Dean?" Sam called out sleepily not even opening his eyes yet before searching for the one person he always felt safe with.

Pulling his little brother a little closer Dean tried to smirk at the bewildered look on Sammy's face, but fell short when he understood that the confusion could have a lot to do with the pain he was sure his brother was experiencing at the moment. "Hey Sammy, I'm here. Give me a second and I'll have a couple of pain meds in you and you'll feel better soon." Dean promised, knowing that the longer it took for him to get the pills down Sammy's throat the longer it was going to take to get the pain under any semblance of control.

"Hmmm… Dean… I don't think… I mean… uh…"

Dean knew that sound, it was the sound of his brother not able to focus because he was in so much pain he literally couldn't think straight. Feeling horrible about letting Sammy go all night without relief, Dean quickly rummaged into the pack and sorted the medicine and a bottled water. Helping his brother get the pills down, Dean finally felt a bit more relaxed in knowing that one task was taken care of; now they just had to finish what they had set out to do, everything else could wait.

"Come on kiddo, let's get a move on so we can get there before you have to take some more. I promise once we're there you can sleep for however long you want, ok?" Dean asked, hoping that some of what he was promising was filtering into his little brother's brain. Seeing the sluggish nod, Dean gathered everything back together and helped Sammy onto his feet. It took a few moments to get everyone to stay on their feet long enough to start walking, but there was no way either one wanted to take any longer than necessary to get to the cabin so they trudged on; Sam holding on to Dean as if he was the only thing in the world that could help him, and Dean holding on to Sammy as if he was the only thing in the world that mattered.

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Cara was really starting to wonder what she had ever done to deserve this. She'd done everything the man said and still it didn't seem to be enough, in fact he had told her that this was her last chance to prove herself otherwise she'd meet the same fate as the others before her. Not understanding what he was talking about, she had mistakenly stood up to the one person she had felt a connection with since Chris died, and found her instantly flying through the air until a very large tree stopped her abruptly. Now she had to continue to follow him otherwise she had no idea what would happen.

She wasn't a fool; she knew he was actually a demon. What had her concerned though was why he was taking such an interest in her as well as little Sammy Winchester; the only thing he had said was that he had plans, very big and important plans. Shaking the memory away she was still feeling thankful that he had gotten her away from John and his friends, now she could concentrate on what really mattered, getting Sammy and taking him to the very one who could give her what she wanted the most… her brother back.


	27. Chapter 27

AN: Hey everyone... I hope you like this chapter as we're winding down the story... only one or two more left I think. Don't forget to let me know what you think!

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Sam wasn't sure how much further he would be able to keep one foot in front of the other, but he wasn't about to admit how weak and tired he really felt; Winchester's sucked it up. No matter how bad he felt though, he was relieved he had Dean with him mainly for the same reason why he always wanted his brother next to him; he felt safe. Now though, it was as if his body wanted to betray him all over again and take even that small amount of comfort away from him. He hadn't wanted to tell Dean, but his brain was fuzzy and most of him felt numb. He didn't even want to start thinking what that could mean.

"Hey Sammy… uh, look, I know you hate taking medicine, but I gave you some extra pain meds to help us get to the cabin. If you feel weird that's probably it, ok?" Dean asked as they continued their slow pace through the forest. "If you start feeling sick though, let me know right away so I won't do it again."

As the words slowly played back through Sam's head he wondered if that was why he felt more than just a little disconnected. Thinking that had to be the case, he happily let his mind go to other things, like how they were going to get to the cabin where he could sleep.

Dean wasn't sure what to think. His little brother wasn't much for talking in his sleep, but with the extra dose of medication running through his system it seemed like the kid was determined to let everyone know what was running through that brain of his even if it _was_ mostly mumbles. Hoping that the antibiotic was still working, he casually checked Sammy for fever and was relieved to find his brother slightly warm, but nothing like he had been.

'_Good, maybe Lady Luck is swinging back to us.'_ Dean thought as he looking at Sammy's face and noticed how tired his brother looked already. _'Ok, maybe not. If we can just find that cabin though, we'll be alright. Sammy can sleep and we won't have to worry about crazy people trying to take him away.'_

Not wanting to risk worrying Sammy anymore, he smiled before whistling 'It's a Small World' making his little brother look at him in confusion.

"Uh, Dean?" Sam asked, listening to his brother butcher a Disney song of all things. "You ok?"

"Couldn't be better Sammy… couldn't be better."

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John could have been having a better day, but at this point he wasn't going to complain… much. After everyone got their gear and they drove on the access road that would get them the closest to the site, the sun was starting to make its appearance on the horizon. Unfortunately there were two ways of finding the boys; either they went to where the boys were supposed to be and then try to pinpoint which way they were coming from, or they could start hiking through the wilderness in the hopes they would run across some sign of them. Neither idea appealed to any of the men, but they knew they needed to do something in the effort of getting to Dean and Sammy before Cara found them.

The thought that Cara would find the boys spurred them on more than anything. None of them knew what she had planned for Sammy, but they knew that it wouldn't be pretty and the kid wouldn't survive it.

Making their way none of the men spoke, so intent on their mission. They quickly seemed to settle into the decision of checking out the cabin location first to see if there were any signs of the boys, then they could fan out and attempt to locate them by sheer will if necessary.

Not able to turn off his mind, John reviewed the past months and did not like what he saw. It was now so clear to him why the others wanted to pound him into the ground, and he couldn't blame any of them; his behavior towards Sammy had been horrendous. Trying to bring his thoughts closer to the present, he decided he'd find a nice little place for awhile, maybe locate a few local hunts but still give his boys a chance to rest. It would make leaving harder, but he also know that Sammy needed a real chance to get back to normal; not some rushed patch up job, but really heal and get back to the boy he was.

"Ok, we should be getting close, so keep an eye out for it." Stephen said, glad that they were almost there. He knew that just getting to the place was an effort in itself, but the thought of the disappointment on the father's face was also enough to make him dread it.

Joshua wasn't about to let John know how worried he really was about this whole situation, so instead tried to make light of it. "About time, I'm ready for some chow; my stomach's doing a tap dance over here."

Bobby and Caleb laughed at the other man. They knew it was close to lunch, but the thought that this bear of a man couldn't wait until they stopped was absurd. Bobby finally got his chuckles under the control and tossed over, "Always known you for a wuss Josh, but this beats all."

Smirking, Joshua looked around happy to know that some of the tension was letting up; tense hunters weren't known to be safe hunters, and the last thing they needed was for someone to get hurt even before the fight begun.

Stephen listened with amusement. Something told him that these men were friends for a reason and knew each others moves instinctively; it both comforted and concerned him. Just because they knew what they were about to do didn't mean he knew it, and he didn't want to be caught off guard later. Looking around he noticed the forest was quiet which was odd that time of day. Hoping that it was actually a good sign, he motioned the others on wanting to get more ground covered before they actually stopped for a break.

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Dean knew that they had been close, but to finally see the damn thing made him start to rethink his whole opinion of God. Sammy had been struggling the whole time, but it had gotten worse in the last hour or so, making Dean worry that his little brother's health was backsliding.

"See Sammy, just like I told you… a walk in the park!" Dean said with a grin and waited for his little brother's response.

Sam hesitated a moment, not sure if he'd heard correctly. Finally comprehending that he hadn't totally scrambled his brains, he moaned, "Ha Ha Dean."

Nodding in acceptance that his brother was still with him, even if a little slow, Dean readied himself to help Sammy into the cabin. It didn't take them too long to open the door and even less time to find the bunk off to the side, giving Dean a chance to take a deep breath and start to organize his thoughts again.

'Ok, place for Sammy to rest… check, food for us to eat… check, working water pump… check.' He thought to himself as he looked around the cabin after helping Sammy lay down. As his gaze fell back on his little brother, he hoped that their dad would get there soon and tells them that this whole mess was over with, he was tired of this whole situation and he knew that Sammy was beyond exhausted period.

Opening the door again, he looked out along the tree line and didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but that didn't mean anything, and he was more determined than ever to make sure his little brother was safe. Checking the cabinets he found enough salt to treat the windows and doors giving him not only something to occupy his time but actively secure the area and make Sammy more secure even though the youngest Winchester was no longer aware of what was going on around him.

Double checking the area, Dean made sure nothing had changed before going over and sitting next to Sammy. He knew that he'd have to rouse the kid for another round of antibiotics, but wasn't sure if his brother would be able to go back to sleep once awakened, so he was hoping to wait a little longer before attempting what could end up being the impossible.

An hour later, Dean knew he was cutting it close and decided to remedy the situation when his attention was diverted to the small porch outside. Patting Sammy's arm in assurance, he to up from the bed and slowly took a gun out of his pack cursing himself for getting careless. Listening carefully, he made his way towards the window and looked through the crack of the window covering. Not seeing anything, he moved to the other side and looked again. Suddenly a shiver ran down his spine as his other senses picked up what he missed; the intruder was no longer on the porch, but now inside with them.

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Stephen was starting to have second thoughts about this whole arrangement, but didn't want to vocalize his fears. His brother and the cabin disappeared, and he himself had never been able to find the damn thing since making him wonder exactly what the deal was that made the once quaint and cozy home into such a nightmare.

"You know, thinking about it will just give you an aneurism." Caleb said as he watched the Sheriff with amusement.

Looking over at the hunter, Stephen wondered about this person who didn't seem to have a problem traipsing through a forest in search of a disappearing cabin while on the lookout for a deranged woman. "So, you do this often?" he asked sarcastically, mainly to bait the man.

Caleb laughed, and shook his head. "Actually, you'd be surprised what we're used to. This time the players have just changed that's all."

Stopping in mid stride, the Sheriff looked over the group of hunters for a moment before stating plainly. "She wasn't completely out of her head, was she? Something's going on, and you all know what it is."

Bobby really didn't want to have to go into that discussion at the moment, and instead replied, "Well, you're half right at least. She's crazier than a loon, so it's best you don't forget that."

Nodding, Stephen was about to agree with the man, but the sound of a gunshot echoing through the forest broke all of them out of there musings. Not wasting a moment to talk, they all sprinted towards the sound instinctively knowing it was the boys they were looking for.

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Something woke him, and he knew by the split feeling he had, it wasn't Dean. He had known when his brother had moved away from him, knew when the room changed and they dynamics shifted. He might be the youngest hunter of the family, but he was still a hunter. Something wasn't right, and he needed to find out what.

Opening his eyes to mere slits, Sam saw a woman walk in from the other side of the cabin and he knew that she wasn't there to talk about the wildlife in the area. When he was confident her attention was on Dean, he slowly reached into the pack to get the gun he knew his brother packed for him. Not feeling the cool steel, but the comforting feel of a leather handle, he grasped the knife and readied himself.

Dean knew he messed up even before he turned around. Whatever made him think that there was only one entrance into the place he didn't know, but now he had to figure out how to rectify the situation. Turning slowly around he was face to face with the one person that he dreamed of shooting, and the one person that he'd been trying to avoid.

"Well if it's not the case worker who wasn't." Dean quipped, hoping to buy time until he could get into a better position. He had his gun aimed, but so did she and that wasn't something he was very comfortable with considering her aim was directed towards his little brother. "How about you point that thing someplace else, like maybe your brain?"

Cara watched Dean closely and knew she was pushing it, but she didn't have any problem with him, she just had to do this one little thing and everything would be set right again. "Walk away Dean, this doesn't involve you."

"Excuse you? How do you figure that? That's my little brother you're pointing a gun at, how am I not involved?" Dean asked incredulously.

Flicking the gun slightly, Cara was about to respond when a sharp pain shot through her arm. Looking down she noticed the hunting knife embedded in her shoulder before she felt the impact of a bullet in her leg. Crying out, she attempted to raise her arm but it fell back useless to her side.

Dean was enraged as he looked down at the woman in front of him. This was the person they were running from, who dared to threaten his family his little brother? Pulling her up onto her feet, he shoved her towards the door while giving his brother a glance. "I'll be back soon little brother, make sure you're still here when I get back." Dean said and waited until he got a nod of agreement before he turned his attention back to the woman in front of him.

"I hope you made your peace, 'cause I'm going to make sure you aren't able to do this again." Dean growled as he pushed her outside into the dirt. When he leveled his gun he didn't blink as he pulled the hammer back. "Sammy doesn't need to see this."

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John broke through the trees into the clearing and immediately yelled in horror, "DEAN!" either at the thought of his son taking a human life or the thought of him leaving Sammy alone in the cabin he wasn't sure. Seeing Dean look up at him in shock, John knew he needed to do something to diffuse the situation if for only a moment. "I'll take it from here Dean, go check on your brother." Seeing that the only way for Dean to let this go was to make it an order, he commanded, "Now Dean, go!"

Seeing his oldest boy grudgingly turn back towards the cabin and disappear inside, he checked to make sure everyone was close by until they were needed. When his gaze fell on the Sheriff he worried about how they were going to handle the situation, after all it was Cara who had been stalking, threatening and even attempting to murder, it should be a no brainer what needed to be done, but nothing in 'normal' society was that easy.

Noticing how shocked the man before him was, he asked if he was alright. It took a moment before Stephen could find the words and even then they drew concern from the hunters.

"I don't understand. It's here, it let your boy and this woman out and it's still here. Why? Why did it vanish and take my brother with it?" Stephen asked, looking at the other men as if they had to have the answers, as if maybe they knew the truth but were refusing to share. He wanted to know what was going on, and he suddenly could tell that the others were just as baffled as he was.

"I think I can help you with that." A voice from behind the group said causing everyone's attention to shift from the woman bleeding onto the forest floor and towards the newcomer.


	28. Chapter 28

AN: Well, here we are at the end, I just hope you all like it, and aren't disappointed. Take care... hope to see you all soon!

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Steve knew he had to be in the middle of a nightmare, there was no other explanation for what he saw. He stared at the man before him and couldn't utter a word, instead making slight choking noises trying to convey his disbelief.

Caleb looked between the Sheriff and the other man and knew exactly who it was, although he wasn't too clear on the why. Looking at the others he knew they were starting to put the pieces together too.

"Hey bro, how ya doing?"

"N-n-nate?"

Nate nodded and looked around to the other men. "You know, you guys might do better if you actually _watched_ her?"

John saw Cara trying to crawl away and his patience quickly withered. Pulling the woman up, he pushed her closer to the trees not caring that she was bleeding profusely from her wounds; his only thought was to keep her away from his boys.

"Go ahead John, kill me! It won't stop anything though; your boy is still damned just like me." Cara yelled, then seeing his startled look she laughed. "What, you think that he's the only one that Azazel visited, the only one of his chosen? Come on John, you had to know what he's been planning… and you get a front row seat."

Caleb and Joshua tensed, understanding that this wasn't the time or place to start airing out possibilities of Sammy's supposed future, but before either could act Bobby grabbed Cara and pushed her further into the forest away from the others. John stood staring at their retreating backs dumbfounded by what he heard. It wasn't that he hadn't known that something had come for his baby boy that night, it wasn't that he hadn't suspected it was a demon, but now he knew a name and with it a possibility in finding it and sending it back to hell.

"I really hate to ruin a reunion, but I can't stay long." Nate said as he watched his brother. Smiling he walked up to Steve and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have a job to do and so do I." Sweeping his arm towards the cabin he explained. "This is what I do, Stevie. Call me a caretaker or groundskeeper or whatever, but I'm here when it's needed."

"I don't understand. You and it… you just disappeared, then people kept saying that they'd see it, but it would be gone and I don't understand how you can be here and look like you do. My God Nate, you look the same and…"

"…and I'm dead Steve… I died that day just like I knew I was going to. I didn't say anything because I knew you'd stay with me and never leave, I couldn't let that happen. You went and got help like I told you, but I couldn't wait, but I didn't want to leave you yet. That's why I've stayed, that's why I'm here, and that's why you're going to help that kid in there then walk away." Nate said gently, knowing that this was hard on his brother, but that it also wouldn't be the last time they saw each other.

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Dean heard the yelling, but didn't care anymore; his concern was his little brother and how to get him better. As he watched, Sammy slept, completely oblivious to anything going on around him which terrified Dean since he knew his brother was more of a light sleeper when he was feeling well. Sighing, he settled himself on the edge of the bed and held Sammy's hand.

"That's right little brother, you just lay there and get better, me and dad got your back." He whispered, hoping that Sammy somehow knew that he was there and wasn't leaving for any reason.

Losing track of time, he was slightly startled when he heard the heavy footsteps on the porch. Smiling, he knew that there was no way they would have made that much noise unless they wanted to be heard and was thankful for the warning since he needed to make sure he didn't look like some little girl sitting there crying her eyes out. Turning around he saw Bobby, Joshua and Caleb walking in the door looking relieved when they noticed Sammy breathing.

"Hey guys, 'bout time you old fogies' showed up." Dean smirked; wanting to make sure the others knew that everything was going to be fine.

"I'll show you old boy!" Joshua said as he put Dean in a headlock and ruffled his hair. Turning to the others he asked, "So, who's next?"

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Watching the others walk into the cabin, John knew they were giving him the opportunity to deal with Cara in whatever manner he deemed fit. There was only one problem; he had no idea what to do with her. Sure she was a liability, and she had every intention of harming Sammy, but she was still human and if his suspicions were right then she was as much a victim as anyone.

Sighing, he grabbed her good arm and lead her away from the cabin. Noting that they'd walked a good distance, he turned her around and asked, "Why are you doing this Cara? You know as well as I do that I didn't shoot Chris, that it wasn't me who screwed up. What do you have to gain by going after Sammy?"

Cara let out a feral growl before she yelled, "CHRIS!! All I have to do is bring your precious Sammy to him and I can have Chris back! It's a fair trade, especially as tainted as he is, but then again you already know don't you? You've already found out that your precious wife had secrets too, and are wondering just how badly you all _are screwed_." She laughed maniacally while stepping backwards away from John. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll make it quick, not like when he took Mary, he doesn't want you… just dear sweet little Sammy as his own. You know what's really sweet about all of this? I get to watch the big bad John Winchester sweat and I don't have to lift a finger. This is so much better than what I had planned for him, this way he gets to become the very thing you hate so much, the very thing that you kill as often as you can." She continued to laugh at the stricken look on his face. "Now you'll get to kill him, because he'll become one of us John, he'll become…"

The sound of the semi-automatic echoed through the forest although deadened by the thick underbrush that surrounded them. John stood there staring at the person that he thought he once knew albeit briefly. When he shook himself out of his daze he realized it was later than what he initially thought and quickly disposed of Cara in a way we was well familiar, knowing that now she had a chance of resting; although he wasn't sure what price he'd pay for it.

Making his way back to the cabin, he knew that there would be questions, mainly from the Sheriff but he hoped he'd find a reasonable explanation by that time. Seeing the small structure ahead he felt a sense of foreboding within him, one that he had refused to admit to before, but this time he had no real choice in the matter; something was after his son, the same thing that killed his beloved Mary, and that something wanted to turn his sweet boy into something vile and evil.

Praying that Mary would forgive him, John composed himself and knew what he had to do. For Sammy to be protected, things had to change; even if it meant sacrificing all that he held dear.

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Steve and Nate watched as the hunters hovered by the youngest and knew that the boy was in good hands. As they continued their observation, neither wanted to break the silent companionship that they shared since they both knew it would end too soon. Listening to the others talk in muted whispers, they both got a sense of how they all cherished the boy and all doubts about his well being dissipated.

"Look, we'll get him to the hospital, make sure everything's ok, then we'll take him home." Caleb said quietly, sure in the knowledge that John wouldn't travel too much with Sammy still recovering.

Dean looked at Caleb as if he'd just lost his mind. "Dude… home? In case we just met, we don't have a home."

Bobby and Joshua shared a chuckle at the condescending tone that Dean had. They knew that John and the boys were constantly on the road, but there were still a few places that they could hang their hats for a little while. Knowing that it would be foolish to bring that up at the moment, they both wisely kept their mouths shut and continued their vigil close to Sammy.

"Dude, you know I meant Pastor Jim's or even Bobby's. Damn kid if I'd known you were this dense I would have spelt it out for you." Caleb jibed, knowing that Dean was trying hard to keep the conversation going; the kid absolutely hated silence.

Dean looked at the other hunter and was about to give his retort when the door opened to allow his dad to enter. The words that were in his mouth froze on his tongue as he saw the look on his dad's face and knew instinctively what it meant. Mulling that thought over in his brain a moment he quickly came to the realization that Cara deserved what she got. With that train of thought over and done with, he turned back and finished his sentence. "Wouldn't have worked Cal, you can't spell."

John looked around and saw that his boy was still sleeping while the others kept each other company. Looking at the Sheriff he knew that the man was having trouble with the whole 'ghosts are real' bit, but then again, he was probably trying to wrap his head around a lot of things at the moment.

"I've already radioed the Rangers and they're sending a couple of choppers for us. We'll get Sam to the hospital where he can get checked out and treated." Steve said confidently, somehow he knew that the kid would get the best possible care if these men had anything to do about it.

Half an hour later, everyone was loaded onto a helicopter while Sam was in another. When they lifted off to start their journey, Steve and the others couldn't help but look down and watch as the cabin once again disappeared, this time with Nate outside waving to them. John knew that this would be the last time he and the boys would ever be here, and it saddened him to think that they would be giving up so much more in the years ahead. However, for his boys to survive whatever it was that Azazel had planned, then they both needed to be better prepared, which meant no more mistakes from either of them. Sammy would have to grow up, and Dean would have to let him. That thought no sooner formed in his head when another jumped up and attacked it. 'Just not today, tomorrow will be soon enough.'

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Sam had to stay in the hospital for another week, but was doing much better by the time the doctors gave him the word that he could go home. John and Dean had already suspected the good news and had the Impala packed and ready to roll. With Sammy in the backseat snuggled up against the door and looking out the window, John knew it was time to lay down some new ground rules.

"Sammy, it's time we upped your training. I know that you're not back to a hundred percent, but this will help you get there. I want you and Dean to do your normal routine of a morning then combat training after school. We'll be in this town for a little while, but I don't want you boys to get lax, there's too much at stake, understand?" he made sure he got a unanimous reply before continuing. "I also want to start teaching you how to bow hunt, it's useful in more ways than one."

Hearing that his life was already planned out from the time he woke up to the time he was allowed to go to bed, Sam was starting to wonder if he wasn't better off the way he was before. Before he had a chance to really think about it though, they were entering the town limits, but it was another sign that caught his eye. Tuning out his father's voice and even the comforting rumble of the Impala, he wondered if he'd be any good at soccer.


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